Ang tatay kong barako: Performed and perceived in father-son relationships from the perspective of gay sons

Abstract

This study aims to to understand masculinity as a phenomenon in a father-son relationship. Furthermore, to gain insight on how masculinity is being perceived and performed in a father-son relationship from the perspective of gay sons. There are six (6) chosen participants who are all from the Higher Educational Institution in Iloilo City. The inclusion criteria include their age that must be between 19-21 years old, must identify themselves as gay, a local of Iloilo City and if they are living with their biological father from birth to present. A face-to-face interview was conducted and followed by a guided researcher-made questionnaire. After the interview, the interview was transcribed. As the researcher gathered, transcribed, and analyzed their data, the study formed five (5) main themes. These main themes are the following: My Father’s Way of Traditional Masculinity, Focusing on Things I can Control, My Mom and My Protector, Thriving Amidst Challenges, and A Tip: Choose Yourself. Under the main theme of My Father's Way of Traditional Masculinity, it gathered two (2) subthemes: Superiority Complex and Physical Strength. This study provides in-depth narratives from six participants’ lived experiences as gay sons who experienced how their father performed masculinity. The conclusions based on the developed implications of this study were developed from these formulated themes, and a thematic map was created. This study can elaborate gay sons’ perspectives on how masculinity and fathering were observed and how these two concepts relate to each other.