Lived Experiences of Gays with Verbal Abuse
Seacor, L. C., Mosarbas, K.G., & Lacbawan, E.L. (2020)
Abstract:
This study sought to explore the lived experiences of gays with verbal abuse and its effect to their emotional health using a qualitative field research design and conducting in-depth interviews with five gay students at the University of the Cordilleras. Generally, bullying and abuse to LGBTQ members, specifically to gay students, have increasingly gained attention in the country as a serious issue which has to be resolved. This paper described verbal abuse and the experiences of the gay students and how it affected their emotions and feelings. Findings show that they receive verbal abuse at their own homes as well as in their schools, both from family members, classmates, faculty and staff, friends, and strangers. This verbal abuse was in the form of consistent “panlalait” (teasing), “pagbabanta” (threatening), “pagmumura” (cussing), stereotyping, and discriminating. Likewise, verbal abuse had caused negative influence on them especially on the state of their emotional health. They feel down, sad, anxious, threatened, concealed feelings and were unable to trust others. In coping with verbal abuse, they basically just shrug all the negative words thrown to them and they try to understand their abusers while they make sure to keep a positive mindset. They also hold importance to the support and love from their families, especially their parents, and their friends thus it was further concluded in the study that important relationships are vital in a gay’s life in order to cope with verbal abuse.
Keywords: gays, verbal abuse, emotional health, coping strategies
