Backyard Teenage Dreams: A Look at Online Cultures of Brazilian and Filipino Queer Boys

In his 2014 essay “Sissy Boys on YouTube: Notes Towards a Cultural History of Online Queer Childhood,” curator Jon Davies describes the bedrooms where young Queer boys dance and lip-sync as safe spaces for them to develop their gay identities.[1] While this theory may hold true for kids residing in the Western world, in recent years online videos have emerged and gone viral, which feature gender and sexually non-conforming youth from other parts of the world performing in similar manners, yet outdoors. Of these videos, two particular countries are noteworthy: Brazil and the Philippines, comparable in their similar technological, racial, economic, and cultural dynamics. My research aims to prove that through these videos, young Queer Brazilian and Filipino boys share a unique way of coming out and performing on the Internet.[2] While the first part of my essay is dedicated to explaining and understanding the particularities of Brazil and the Philippines, including its LGBT cultures, this essay is not intended as an anthropological study of these two countries and their respective cultures. The latter part of my research will demonstrate how these viral videos are useful in understanding how Queer sensibilities might be differently shaped outside of the Imperial West.

Brazil and the Philippines are products of European colonialism: Brazil was colonized by Portugal, while the Philippines was colonized by Spain. In both cases, the clash of Indigenous peoples with European rulers, and added foreign migration over several centuries, has generated the melting pot of cultures and ethnicities that exists there today.[3] Religion also has an important place in the cultural landscape of both countries, followings ranging from Roman Catholicism to Orthodox religious groups.[4] These cultural particularities have had an impact on how homosexuality and gender non-conforming identities are perceived in these two countries,[5] and are remarkable in the formation of Queer sub-cultures.[6] Yet, as in Western discourses, traditional binary views of same-sex behaviour and Queerness continue to exist.[7] Overall, Queer identities in both countries are very complex.[8]

For the purpose of this media-based inquiry, it is also worth noting that both countries have been described as social-media capitals of the world by news organizations. Brazil’s Internet users are responsible for some of the most time spent online worldwide, using various social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube.[9] The Philippines does not pale in comparison, though their media-activity attests to a high amount of mobile users.[10] Like Brazil, Internet-users in the Philippines spend large amounts of time on social media.[11] The similarities between both countries on topics of Queerness and media-usage help contextualize this research, and are remarkable with regard to online viral videos.

In a 2014 viral video by Gabriel Dionisio from San Carlos City, Philipines,[12]  two young boys are lip-syncing and dancing to the hit song “Teenage Dream” (2010) by American Pop singer Katy Perry. The boys’ young age—presumably between six and eleven years— resembles Davies’s descriptions of “Sissy Boy YouTube Videos”; more home-video than professional film, the featured boys mimic dance moves by pop divas, and are enthusiastic in their performance—no doubt the key to their online popularity.[13] Yet, unlike Davies’s allusion to the bedroom as a private and safe space, these Filipino boys perform in their backyard instead of behind closed doors.[14] The video’s setting also suggests Dionisio lives in a semi-urban area where backyards are linked to one another and can be accessed by neighbours, further testament to the video’s public spectacle. In the video, the performers seem to be competing for an imaginary spotlight with their extravagant gestures, reminiscent of Davies’s mention that “Sissy Boy YouTube Videos” act as a sort of beauty pageant.[15] In the Philippines, however, these very contests are extremely popular among cross-dressing gay men, particularly in working class neighborhoods and smaller cities.[16] Therefore, the boys in the video might not only be mimicking the moves of American pop stars, but also their older Queer counterparts.

The concept of coming out is also different in the Philippines than in Western cultures, which can be read in the video. Author J. Neil C. Garcia explains that the symbol of the closet holds little basis in the Philippines, for most houses do not have one big enough to hide in.[17]  Instead, the term pagladlad ng kappa exists, translating to: “the unfurling of one’s cape,” signifying the act of coming out as “irrevocable and precious.”[18] In the video, the younger boy wears a skirt made from a towel that he opens up repetitively throughout the performance, as if to confirm to the viewers that he is, indeed, out. The performers dance with unique gestures and rhythm, showing that coming out is an aspirational performance rather than one performed behind closed doors.[19]

In another 2014 video led by artist Royce Cherdan Lee from Cebu City, Philippines, a group of teenage boys, together called #TeamASPO, perform to “Crazy in Love” (2003) by American artists Beyoncé and Jay-Z . Already, we notice a difference to “Sissy Boy YouTube Videos”: rather than the use of a tripod or improvised support, someone else is filming, meaning an audience is already present. Again, the video is filmed outside, emphasizing a public performance. After a panning view, we see Lee dancing fiercely and flamboyantly to the song’s lyrics. The phrase: “history in the making” is particularly pronounced, emphasizing the video as an event to be remembered, or perhaps foreseeing the performers’ forthcoming Internet fame. As the song continues, Lee approaches every boy and touches them seductively, then as the song’s chorus breaks out, the boys gather in front of the camera and break into a well-choreographed dance routine. Perhaps by first touching them one by one, Lee transmits his Queerness to the other more masculine boys, making his coming out a collective experience. Their shared kisses at the end of the video confirm this.

Unlike Western videos of this genre, Lee and his friends make funny faces, even cracking up mid-song, deliberately not taking themselves seriously. In this video, coming out is perceived as funny, an enjoyable rather than urgent experience, unlike the Western coming-out ethos which is often linked to a sense of fear of being outed. On a final note, the video’s integration of nature —large tree branches, fences and sunlight— disrupts the typical “Sissy Boy YouTube Video” backdrop of the dark bedroom, bed, computer chair, and desk. We are reminded that these performances are significant in their presence outside of the home.

The third and final video of comparison is by teenager Saullo Berck and his friends from Barbalha, Brazil. Berck, a self-proclaimed Rainha dos Tijolos, or “Queen of Bricks,” owes his title to his high heels made out of bricks.[20] The video starts with Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “So Much Things To Say” (1977) as the performers adopt macho poses complete with traditionally-masculine clothing. Suddenly, as the song cuts to the piano introduction of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” (1978), the boys seem to have a joyous vision, and they shed their clothes to reveal stuffed bras, skirts and panties. These two songs may have been chosen at random by Portuguese-speaking teenagers who could not fully understand the English lyrics, but the lyrics are significant to those who can. By mouthing Marley’s lyrics: “so much things to say,” the boys suggest they have a secret to confide, perhaps that they wish to get rid of their performed heterosexuality and be Queer. Moreover, Gaynor’s iconic song is of extreme importance here as these Queer kids dance to their survival and their coming out in a country that violently discourages it.

After dancing around the backyard, the performers turn their backs to the camera and embrace each other. This comradery demonstrates that they are not alone in both online performance and Queer experience, and do not embody the narcissism emphasized by Davies in his text.[21] Berck’s concrete high heels can even be seen as a metaphor to this friendship: no matter how many times he may risk breaking his neck dancing in them, his friends will be there to catch him if he were to fall. The two previously discussed videos also show coming out on video as a group act, suggesting that one may rely on a support system to get by. Like their Filipino counterparts, Berck’s performance is public, self-aware, and full of humor

My research suggests that Davies’s model of the “Sissy Boy YouTube Video” —lonely boys who perform online in the secrecy of their bedrooms— may be expanded to consider Brazilian and Filipino variations to the online coming-out process. Viral videos arising from these two locations hint at Western examples of online-performance, but are unique in their demonstration that coming out can be a positive, self-aware experience, which need not be done in private, and rather can be shared as a group experience. Above all, these videos and this research more broadly challenge normative models of Queerness, which can expand to encompass other cultures outside of a solely Western point of view.

 

Notes:

[1] Jon Davies, “Sissy Boys on YouTube: Notes Towards a Cultural History of Online Queer Childhood,” C Magazine (2014): 25.

[2] I am aware that this topic may see me reading what anthropologist David Valentine would describe as “[…] contemporary U.S. (and European) categories of sexual and gendered identity onto […] non-U.S., non-European people.” My knowledge and interpretation of the matter is restricted and biased by my identification as a North-American white cisgender man, and this is reflected though this research, which is situated as a study distanced in culture and geography, and mediated through shared technologies; David Valentine, “Engendering Sexuality in Brazil and the Southern Philippines,” Anthropological Quarterly 72.4 (1999): 183.« eaturing “onisio. Online videobecause it is secondary to your main points. endnotes.arch and reminds the viewer of your argume

[3] Nearly 48% of Brazilians are White, while 43% are multiracial (pardo) and 7.6% Black. And while Portuguese is the country’s official language, there are over 220 languages spoken throughout Brazil. A similar portrait is seen in the Philippines, where 74.7% of the population belongs to seven different ethnic groups, and where more than 180 identified languages are spoken; Tom Philips, “Brazil census shows African-Brazilians in the majority for the first time,” The Guardian, November 17, 2011. Accessed on November 27, 2015. [theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/17/brazil-census-african-brazilians-majority]; Charles D. Fennig, Paul M. Lewis and Gary F. Simons, eds. Ethnologue: Languages of the World  (Dallas, Texas: SIL International, 2015); “The World Factbook,” Central Intelligence Agency, accessed on November 25, 2015. [cia.gov//library/publications/the-world-factbook].

[4] “The World Factbook,” Central Intelligence Agency, accessed on November 25, 2015, [cia.gov//library/publications/the-world-factbook]; Curtis P. Ogland and Ana Paula Verona, “Religion and the Rainbow Struggle: Does Religion Factor Into Attitudes Toward Homosexuality and Same-Sex Civil Unions in Brazil?” Journal of Homosexuality 61.9 (2014): 1336; Jocelyn R. Uy, “Filipino Catholic population expanding, say Church officials,” Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 11, 2013, accessed on November 27, 2015, [newsinfo.inquirer.net/463377/filipino-catholic-population-expanding-say-church-officials].

[5] Both Brazil and the Philippines have a worldwide reputation of being gay-friendly, but this does not seem to reflect the more complex reality wherein violence and lack of legal framework are a daily reality for many LGBT individuals; Anastasia Kyriacou, “A shocking number of LGBT people have been murdered in Brazil,” PinkNews, posted on October 1, 2014, accessed on November 27, 2015, [pinknews.co.uk/2014/10/01/a-shocking-number-of-lgbt-people-have-been-murdered-in-brazil/]; “The Global Divide on Homosexuality – Greater Acceptance in More Secular and Affluent Countries, 2013,” Pew Research Center, posted on June 4, 2013, accessed on November 27, 2015, [pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality]; Aaron Day, “Philippines: Lawmakers to file bill against anti-LGBT hate crimes after murder of trans woman,” PinkNews, posted on October 30, 2014, accessed on November 27, 2015, [pinknews.co.uk/2014/10/30/philippines-lawmakers-file-bill-against-anti-lgbt-hate-crimes-after-murder-of-trans-woman/].

[6] Michael L. Tan, “From Bakla to Gay: Shifting Gender Identities and Sexual Behaviors in the Philippines,” in Conceiving Sexuality: Approaches To Sex Research In A Postmodern World, ed. Richard G Parker and John H Gagnon (New York: Routledge, 1995): 86.

[7] Richard Parker, “Youth, Identity, and Homosexuality: The Changing Shape of Sexual Life in Contemporary Brazil” Journal Of Homosexuality 17.3/4 (1989): 278, 286.

[8] Class in particular is often determinant in the creation and perceptions of one’s sexuality, and in both cultures, the effeminate gay male (bakla in the Philippines, various identities such as travesti in Brazil) is “[…] simultaneously stigmatised and institutionalised in traditional popular culture.” Peter A. Jackson, ‘‘Reading Rio from Bangkok: An Asianist Perspective on Brazil’s male Homosexual Cultures.’’ American Ethnologist 27.4 (2000): 957.

[9] Brazil spends 10% of the total global time spent on social media, following the United States. It also has 65 million Facebook users (roughly 25% of the country’s population), and is a major market for YouTube and Twitter; Chloe Mason Gray, “5 Interesting Social Media & Technology Statistics about Brazil for Globally-Minded Enterprises,” Sprinklr, posted on May 13, 2015, accessed on November 27, 2015, [https://www.sprinklr.com/social-scale-blog/social-media-statistics-brazil/]; Ryan Holmes, “The Future Of Social Media? Forget About The U.S., Look To Brazil,” Forbes, posted on September 12, 2013, [forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2013/09/12/the-future-of-social-media-forget-about-the-u-s-look-to-brazil/].

[10] Peter Evans, “2014 Philippines – Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts,” BuddeComm, posted on August 12, 2014, accessed on November 27, 2015, [budde.com.au/Research/2014-Philippines-Telecoms-Mobile-Broadband-and-Forecasts.html].

[11]Joel Locsin, “Pinoys lead the world in social media engagement–study,” GMA Network, posted on June 30, 2014, accessed on November 27, 2015, [gmanetwork.com/news/story/367983/scitech/technology/pinoys-lead-the-world-in-social-media-engagement-study].

[12] The viral nature of this video makes the search for its original author difficult. I have retraced the original video to Gabriel Dionisio’s Facebook account, therefore assigning him the role of author. This is the case for the other videos as well.

[13] Davies, 22.

[14] Ibid, 25.

[15] Ibid, 22.

[16] Robin M. Mathy and Frederick L. Whitam, Male Homosexuality in Four Societies: Brazil, Guatemala, the Philippines, and the United States (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1986), 97.

[17]J. Neil C. Garcia, Philippine Gay Culture: Binabae to Bakla, Silahis to MSM (Hong Kong University Press, 2009), 144.

[18] Ibid.

[19] I think an interesting third character deserves the title of best performer in this video: a younger boy who sporadically appears in the back of the frame mimicking some of the gestures of his older friends or relatives.

[20] Among the dozens of videos of dance routines uploaded by Saullo Berck on his Facebook page and found across platforms such as Tumblr and Vine, this one stood out to me the most.

[21] Davies views YouTube as the ultimate platform for “exhibitionistic narcissism”: performers are alone in their rooms, claiming an audience of networked voyeurs and caressing the possibility of becoming famous.  Davies, 25.

 

Bibliography