Is Bangkok Really a Gay Haven? Intersectional Negotiations Shaping Identity and Belonging among Queer Filipino Migrant Workers
10
Issued Date
2025-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
10955143
eISSN
19364822
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105011375081
Journal Title
Sexuality and Culture
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Sexuality and Culture (2025)
Suggested Citation
Calang K., Sunanta S. Is Bangkok Really a Gay Haven? Intersectional Negotiations Shaping Identity and Belonging among Queer Filipino Migrant Workers. Sexuality and Culture (2025). doi:10.1007/s12119-025-10428-y Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/111448
Title
Is Bangkok Really a Gay Haven? Intersectional Negotiations Shaping Identity and Belonging among Queer Filipino Migrant Workers
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Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
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Abstract
Thailand is often celebrated as a “gay haven” in Southeast Asia, known for its visible LGBTQ+ culture and liberal gender expression. However, this perception obscures the complex and precarious realities faced by queer migrant workers. This study focuses on queer Filipino migrant workers in Bangkok and how they navigate their identities and sense of belonging. It examines the intersecting forces of sexuality, class, race, religion, nationality, and migration status that shape their lived experiences. Bridging gaps in Filipino migration studies and queer migration scholarship, this research employs an intersectional lens to critically examine how multiple social identities interact within the socio-cultural contexts of both the Philippines and Thailand. Drawing on qualitative phenomenological methods, it explores the lived and gendered experiences of queer Filipino teachers and workers through in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that while Bangkok offers relative freedom and visibility, participants continue to face structural inequalities, racialized labor hierarchies, and cultural stigmas. Participants described a “dual reality” where public spaces allowed some degree of identity expression, yet societal norms, work policies, and visa insecurities often pressured them into strategic concealment. Despite these tensions, participants cultivate resilience and community through support networks and acts of everyday resistance. This study challenges simplified narratives of LGBTQ+ inclusion in Thailand and contributes to de-centering Global North perspectives in queer migration literature. It offers insights into how migration, sexuality, and identity are dynamically reshaped across borders within Global South contexts. These insights may help inform inclusive policies, labor protections, and support services for queer migrants.