A howling from within: The transgressive homosexual voice in selected poems from the Southern cross and other poems by Ralph Semino Galan

• Main Author: Antipala, Louise Jezareth G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2010
• Subjects: Gay men > Poetry > 20th century > History and criticism; Gays' writings; Philippine (English) > 20th century > History and criticism; Gays > Philippines > Literary collections > 20th century > History and criticism; Philippine literature (English) > 20th century > History and criticism; Comparative Literature
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2414
• Institution: De La Salle University

This thesis aims to analyze selected poems from this collection using the theorizing of J. Neil Garcia regarding Philippine gay culture, with support from Jonathan Dollimores theory of sexual dissidence (specifically of transgressive aesthetics), and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwicks Epistemology of the Closet. The main objective of this study was to ascertain how Galans poetry is representative of transgression, and how it challenges the dominant heterosexist and heteronormative structure of our society. Through the analysis of the use of poetic elements and devices in Galans poetry, this study aimed to determine: 1) what images of gays are present in his poetry; 2) if the poems deconstruct gay stereotypes; 3) if his poems adhere to Wildes transgressive aesthetics or Gides transgressive ethic; and 4) if how his poetry constitutes a form of Coming Out, or paglaladlad ng kappa. The results of the study show that Galans poetry presents more of the Western or masculine homosexual, and that gay stereotypes are deconstructed by the appropriation of figures and images from the dominant such as the religious martyr. The study also identified that Galans poetry mostly adheres to Andre Gides transgressive ethic in its use of the depth model of self, or what Garcia calls loob. The poems were also shown to constitute a form of Coming Out by the bringing out, or publicizing of the homosexuals repressed self and desire.