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Portrayal of Love and Social Issues of LGBTQIA+ in Pinoy Boys' Love (BL)
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Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

Portrayal of Love and Social Issues of LGBTQIA+ in

Pinoy Boys’ Love (BL) Series

Von R. Del Prado1, Jamie Flor H. Guzman2, Bryan R. Realgo3*

1,2,3*
Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines.

Email: 1vondelprado44@gmail.com, 2guzmanjamie0706@gmail.com

Corresponding Email: 3*brrealgo@mmsu.edu.ph

Received: 12 February 2023 Accepted: 07 May 2023 Published: 13 June 2023

Abstract: Drama as a performing art has changed dramatically over the years in terms of
production quality, story, and platform it is performed. Recently, it has diversified from
tackling societal issues such as same-sex relationships. The study analyzed how to love and
social issues are portrayed in selected Pinoy Boys' Love (BL) series by conducting a content
analysis. The findings revealed Pinoy BL series had proven its capacity to depict love in non-
romantic situations inclusively and concluded that expressing love entails more than an
emotion. It also comprises expressing it through language, in which words can make
individuals feel loved because of the encouragement and affirmation they get. It has also
been seen that love also comprises movements in which people who cannot openly express
their love for another person through words may still do so by doing kind and pleasant
gestures and deeds for them. Love may also develop through time; it has been demonstrated
in the BL series that spending time together can help individuals reconnect with their lovers,
friends, and families and rekindle desire in people who have lost the spark in their
relationship.
The potential of the BL series to show the hardships that LGBT people had historically and
continue to face in society was also noted, including personal-social and political-social
concerns that affect them, proving that the BL series is intended to depict LGBTQIA+ themes
seriously and realistically.

Keywords: Drama Series, BL Series, LGBTQIA+, Love, Social Issues.

1. INTRODUCTION

In the Philippines, the media has adapted to a more accepted style of portraying boys' Love or
BL stories, allowing gays to be whom they are, acting as they like, and with drama that even
heterosexuals can relate to. It does not dismiss gender issues; instead, it sees them as who they
are. Since the popularity of some of Thailand's most well-known and highest-rated dramas has
reached our shores, the number of BL fans in the Philippines has risen dramatically.

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 1
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

BL is a distinct genre developed in Japan and is properly known as yaoi. Many BL books have
been successfully adapted into TV series by Taiwanese and especially Thai studios in recent
years, including the iconic SOTUS, Dark Blue Kiss, Theory of Love, Accidental Love (a.k.a.
Love by Chance), TharnType, and 2gether (Carreon, 2020).
The extraordinary popularity of BL in Japan and Thailand has recently inspired Filipino
creators, who wish to duplicate the success for the Philippine audience. People would never
have guessed that a love tale between two boys could be shown on the big screen just a few
years ago. It used to be a subject reserved for indie or experimental films, but as BL's popularity
has grown in the region, these stories have sprouted. However, some members of the LGBTQ+
community, on the other hand, criticize some foreign and Pinoy BL series because of inaccurate
portrayals of their community. They claim that some BL series focuses too much on romantic
fantasy, obscuring more serious LGBTQ+ issues and challenges.
The study conducted a content analysis to identify how love and social issues are portrayed in
selected Pinoy Boys' Love series. The study sought to disprove the notion that the genre tends
to just portray romantic cliches and unrealistic LGBTQIA tropes.

Research Gaps
Today, Pinoy BL episodes can be seen on YouTube and other streaming sites, and both Filipino
and international fans are gushing about them. These have been far more realistic and relevant
to our current circumstances. There is a limited study on this topic, and to address this gap,
given its rising popularity, this paper aims to study BL phenomena to discuss and expound it
further and to disprove such claims that the genre merely concentrates on romantic plotlines. It
is interesting to look into how the Filipino-produced BL series portrayed love in different
relationships, given that the genre is assumed to always focus on the traditional romantic
cliches in foreign BL Series. This study also examined how societal issues are depicted in the
BL series that purports to be just about love portrayal. In order to better understand how their
stories are put together and to contribute to the paucity of literature and studies on subjects like
the representation of love in various relationships and the struggles LGBTQIA+ people face in
society; it is crucial to conduct a thorough content analysis of the Pinoy BL series.

Research Problem
Specifically, the study answered the following research questions:
1. How is love portrayed in the Pinoy BL series in terms of:
a. language;
b. movements; and
c. time?
1. What are the issues depicted in the Pinoy BL series in terms of:
a. personal-social issues; and
b. social-political issues?

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 2
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

The researchers are guided by the concepts of expressions of love by The Oregon Counselling’s
(2020) online article which derived from Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages (1992);
and Elizabeth Thoman’s (1986) classification of social issues to analyze the portrayals.
According to Chapman (1992), there are five love languages: Words of Affirmation, which
was considered by the researchers as expression of love through language; acts of service,
receiving gifts, and physical touch, which were considered as movements; and quality time
which was considered by the researchers as love expression through the use of time. These love
languages are present in romantic relationships, and even seen within families, and friendships.
On the other hand, Thoman (1986) asserts that personal-social issues are primarily person-
centered, that is, they consist of extraordinary circumstances that affect individuals or
individual units of society - usually, crises in relationships or health while social-political issues
include those more global concerns which can, indeed, affect individuals, but which individuals
- by themselves - cannot begin to handle: the arms race, the impact of the world debt,
discrimination, racism-and sexism, the effects of colonialism in developing nations,
homelessness, and so on.

2. METHODOLOGY

Research Design
The researchers utilized content analysis to identify love representations and social issue
depictions in the chosen BL series. According to Columbia University Mailman School (2022),
content analysis is used to determine the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts within
some given qualitative data (i.e., text, film, series).

Sources of Data
The researchers selected six (6) BL series based on the following criteria: (a) popularity of the
series; (b) availability of the series; and (c) theme of the Pinoy BL series such as love, family,
coming out, awareness, different social issues, etc. The following are series used in the study:
Oh Mando, Mga Batang PoZ, BenxJim, Sakristan, Hello Stranger, and Gaya sa Pelikula.

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 3
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

Data Analysis Procedure

To researchers have conducted a thorough review and inter coding to the selected drama series.
To analyze the portrayal of love through language in the BL series, the researchers observed
and identified the words, dialogue, or phrases voiced by the characters in the BL series that
express affection and love (e.g., words of affirmation). To analyze the portrayal of love through
movements in the BL series, the researchers observed and identified the actions, gestures,
activities, and behaviors exerted by the characters in the BL series that are considered to be an
act of love (e.g., acts of service, receiving gifts, and physical touch). To analyze the portrayal
of love through time in the BL series, the researchers observed and identified how the
characters in the series spend time with or give their undivided attention to the people they love
(e.g., quality time). Depicted social issues in the BL series were also observed and identified,
including personal-social and political-social issues. To identify the personal-social issues
depicted in the BL series, the researchers observed and analyzed if the primarily person-
centered issues affect the characters in the BL series (e.g., crises in relationships and health,
anxiety, emotional issues, etc.). To identify the political-social issues depicted in the BL series,
the researchers observed and analyzed the societal concerns that severely affect the majority of
the characters in the BL series/ LGBTQIA community (e.g., discrimination, homophobia,
domestic violence, harassment, etc.).

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Portrayal of Love
In this study, the portrayal of love was perceived in the use of language, movements, and time
by the characters in the BL Series. It was perceived that expressing love entailed more than just
a feeling of affection; it also entailed saying and doing something for someone and giving one’s
undivided attention.
Language as Love. It has been perceived how acceptance and appreciation were given to those
who demand the most respect in society, such as LGBTQIA+ persons. The researchers have
inferred from the six series, that words have great power, especially when addressing those
who are suffering or experiencing issues, such as those pertaining to their families or health
and it supports Chapman’s (2015) notion that words of affirmation entail verbal
communication that is encouraging, affirmative, active, and appreciative. Majors (2021)
explains that positive affirmations ensure more than simply a good feeling for those who
receive them. As perceived in the series, words may also be used to vocally show gratitude and
respect for another person as well as to encourage them. It can be used to convey love in a
variety of ways. Words have the power to improve someone's disposition and can help them
feel as though their emotions are valid because of the encouragement and validation they
receive. This has been demonstrated in examples of friends being incredibly supportive and
kind to one another as well as parents cherishing and caring for their children. And words of
affirmation are not just for romantic relationships. Feeling appreciated and valued are human
needs in any personal relationship, not just romantic ones.

Movements as Love. The researchers were also able to identify that acts and gestures are other
ways that love can be shown as perceived from the movements of the characters in the BL
series in which it supports Nguyen (2022) assertion that an act of service is the tangible

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 4
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

manifestation of a considerate gesture. It is one of the five love languages, which are distinct
ways of expressing love. Individuals whose major love language is an act of service will
appreciate the tangible, perceptible measures people are doing to improve or simplify their
lives by making things a little bit simpler. According to Evans (2022), those who use physical
touch as their preferred form of love language experience love and admiration more strongly
when expressing it physically. The Pinoy BL series proved that people who are unable to
openly express their love for another person through words can still do so by doing kind deeds
for them, giving them gifts, or otherwise acting in a way that shows how much they cherish
and care for that person. It was confirmed that, especially if an amount of effort is being made,
actions can cause two people to grow close and can even lead to a higher level of relationship
and it negates Wong’s (2021) claim that the plotlines of the BL series tend to follow standard
tropes in romance dramas since the series were able to depict sacrifices and challenges as well
other than merely kilig and sweet scenes.
In Mga Batang Poz, it has been perceived that most of them are expressing their love to their
loved ones, friends, and family through acts such as giving gifts to the people they love, being
helpful to them, and even through physical affection.
In the series, Luis has seen that he is always watching over his grandfather, who is in a coma.
He kept on monitoring if his grandfather was already awake, and during those times that his
grandfather was awake, he is the one who feeds him in bed, and he does sponge baths for his
grandfather.

Figure 1. Still Cut of Luis and his grandfather- Mga Batang Poz

In Ben x Jim, it has been perceived that most of the character’s actions in the series portray
love. It has been implied in the series that when Ben found out that Jim would return to their
place, he repaired the tree house that he and Jim used to play at when they were kids. Even if
they are now adults, Ben feels the urge to repair it so that it can serve as their hangout place to
reminisce about all their childhood memories the moment Jim arrives.

Figure 2. Still Cut of Ben- Ben x Jim

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 5
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

In Sakristan, it has been found that the characters of Christian and Zach in the series are very
much concerned with each other, and it can be perceived through their actions. It was seen that
Zach was having chills when they were trapped in the office, and Christian touched his
forehead, and he felt that he was feverish. Zach asked him to help him cool down his chills.
Christian was panicking about what he could do, but he couldn't ask for help because they were
trapped, so he just hugged Zach to make him feel better.

Figure 3. Still Cut of Christian and Zach- Sakristan

In Gaya sa Pelikula, the characters of Vlad and Karl, tend to express their love for each other
through acts of service and physical touch. It has been seen how Karl went out of his way for
Vlad on his birthday, and how Vlad went out of his way to take clips of his memories with Karl
and make a compilation for them, which made Karl sentimental in the latter part of the series.

Figure 7. Still Cut of Karl and Vlad- Gaya sa Pelikula

In the first episodes, it has been implied that Karl cares for Vlad, even if they've just met in the
recent past. Karl agreed with Vlad when he asked him to pretend as his lover in front of his
sister because he didn't want to go home yet, and even if Karl didn't want Vlad to stay in his
apartment, he offered it to Vlad because he didn't have somewhere to stay.

Time as Love. The researchers were able to see that quality time, which is also an expression
of love, occurs when people set aside time for the people, they cherish in order to enjoy their
company. The worth of each moment and the finiteness of time are constant themes in the
communication of this love language. Due to the way it promotes a sense of attachment, the
Pinoy BL series showed how spending quality time with someone or a group of people can
also make them more bonded. Furthermore, it has been shown that spending quality time with
friends involves more than just having fun all the time; it also involves being there for them
when they need you and paying attention to their problems, and comforting them by saying

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 6
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

things that will make them feel better. The finest gift that families can offer to one another,
according to Witmer (2020), is time spent together.

Portrayal of Social Issues

This study also looked at the common personal-social and political-social concerns (Thoman,
1986) that complicate and exist in the lives of LGBTQIA+ persons. It was discovered that BL
series are capable of tackling the social challenges that queer people are severely confronting
which supports Kaul’s (2014) notion that the media can raise awareness and be a start to
addressing local and global issues where it can educate about cultures, and give a broader
political, religious, or social context and they can dispel long-held misconceptions as well as
be a catalyst for social change. The Pinoy BL series has served as a source of awareness and
education because it is believed that the social challenges it depicts are common to most
LGBTQIA+ people and it validates Fujimoto’s (2020) notion that realistic BL has reduced the
gap between fiction and real life.

Personal-Social Issues. Personal issues have been explored in the selected series including
jealousy among friends, infidelity, mental health crises, health issues, parental pressure,
rejection, and even invalidation of one's emotions. These problems are quite prevalent in
society, and LGBTQIA people are typically the ones who deal with it.
The personal-social issues that the characters in the Pinoy BL series had faced and represented
are as follows:

Parental Pressure, Rejection, and Favoritism. In mga Batang Poz, Enzo always asked his
parents why he and his brother are not being treated equally, and it makes Enzo feel that he is
being left behind, which led him to commit rebellious acts. On the other hand, Luis' character
was the one who consistently received pressure from his family. His brother first admitted to
their parents that he is gay, but he was shunned at home because their father is homophobic.
Luis got pressured and he was so afraid to come-out as gay to his family. The moment he
admitted to his parents that he was gay, his father rejected him and cursed him, saying that he
was a shame to their family. It shows that one of the reasons most gays are having trouble
coming-out as their true identity is the lack of support from their families and the pressure that
they are carrying from society—the fear of being rejected and the fear of being judged. In Ben
X Jim, it has been perceived that Ben is being pressured by his mom. His mom is being so
controlling, to the point where he even forbids Ben to be in a relationship with Jim. Ben is
really pressured and it seems that his mom cannot let him handle his own life, and make
decisions for himself. This is one of the problems that the youth are experiencing from their
households—most parents are being manipulative and are depriving their child to make self-
decisions and it turns out to be a negative trait of some parents because their child didn't have
the chance to experience the real world all by themselves, and they are prone to committing
mistakes when they get old because they've been boxed for a long time. In Gaya sa Pelikula,
it has been perceived that Karl is being pressured by his parents to become an architect, and
even if it is something that he is not passionate about, he took the risk of studying architecture
as his father asked him to. However, it seems to appear that he is having a hard time pursuing
it, so he told his parents that he no longer wanted it and he would shift to filmmaking instead,
but his father acted vehemently enough that he even laughed at him.

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license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 7
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

Emotional Invalidation. In Hello Stranger, it has been perceived that Mico invalidated
Xavier's emotions when he couldn't focus on their discussion for the group project because he
was not on good terms with his girlfriend. Mico seemed to be insensitive because he nagged
Xavier and told him that he was concerned about his grade for the project that they were doing.
Xavier was upset because it sounded like Mico was only thinking of himself and could have
become more sensitive. Xavier told Mico that he shouldn't ever comment on someone's
problem if he wasn't able to experience it first-hand. Kookai’s feelings for Mico were also
invalidated in the series. It was implied in the series that Kookai likes Mico—she confessed to
Mico that she likes him and told him that she wants him to become her lover, but Mico told her
that she only sees Kookai as a friend. Kookai was so upset, and she felt ashamed of what she
did. She distanced herself from Mico after she confessed, but they reconciled in the latter part
of the series because Mico confessed to his friends that he was gay.

Identity Crisis/ Coming-out Issue. In Gaya sa Pelikula, a gender identity crisis was seen in
and the character who was suffering from it was Karl. There was a scene where Vlad and Karl
were dancing together because Karl wanted to teach him how to dance at a prom. However,
they got carried away while dancing and they almost kissed each other. Karl panicked and ran
away from Karl, and it seems that Karl was so confused and he is seen to be so anxious because
of what happened, especially that he is claiming that he is a straight guy. According to the
University of Washington (2022), coming out may be both challenging and freeing for gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons. Most people take time to figure out who they
are. It's the phase where they are having a crisis about admitting their true identity—they are
confused, and uncertain about whether or how to come out and this has been persistently
perceived from the Pinoy BL series. Coming out can be a very difficult process as what has
been seen from the gay/ bisexual characters of the BL series. For gay, lesbian, and bisexual
persons, there may be a sense of being different or of not fitting into the roles expected of them
by their family, friends, workplace or greater society. Coming out involves facing societal
responses and attitudes toward LGBTQ people. They may feel ashamed, isolated, and afraid,
as what has been felt by the lead gay characters of the series.
In Sakristan, after Christian received hurtful words from his friend, he began to get confused
about his sexuality and if it was normal or not. He suddenly remembers all his memories with
Zach and he is so bothered and stressed out because he can't understand what is going on to
him. The University of Washington (2022) asserted that individuals do not move through the
coming out process at the same speed. The process is very personal. It happens in different
ways and occurs at different ages for different people. Some people are aware of their sexual
identity at an early age just like the gay characters of Mando in Oh, Mando!, Ben in BenxJim,
and Vlad in Gaya sa Pelikula. Others arrive at this awareness after many years just like Mico
and Xavier in Hello Stranger, Christian in Sakristan, and Karl in Gaya sa Pelikula. Coming out
is a continuing, sometimes lifelong, process. It shows that identity crisis is one of the common
issues that the LGBTQIA+ community confronts—they are having a hard time coming out as
who they are because of a lot of factors that are hindering them, such as religion and prejudices
and it validates UPLB Perspective’s (2020) notion that BL series shows the struggles of the
queer community, and even the people who are in the process of knowing themselves.

Copyright The Author(s) 2023.This is an Open Access Article distributed under the CC BY
license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 8
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
http://journal.hmjournals.com/index.php/JHMD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

Mental Crises and Health Issues. In Ben x Jim, depression has been portrayed. Ben's ex-
boyfriend, Leo, can't move on from him, and there comes a time when Leo attempts to commit
suicide, but Ben stops him. One of the reasons why Leo is so hard on himself is that he has
been disowned by his mom because, instead of guiding and supporting him, she just lets Leo
be drowned in his bad habits. In Mga Batang Poz, Chuchay, Enzo, Luis, and Gab were HIV
positives. Luis has contracted the virus by engaging himself in sexual activities with different
guys he has met. According to his doctor, it could have gotten him rid of the virus if he had
become responsible enough, such as using protection. Enzo's friend RJ is also HIV positive.
When he found out that he had contracted the virus, he got so upset and even attempted to
commit suicide by overdosing on pills. Chuchay, on the other hand, contracted the virus
because he used to engage himself in sexual activity with a man who has a wife and it left him
traumatized because he used to engage himself in sexual activities with that man because he
was getting paid. However, the moment Chuchay found out that he was positive, he was so
anxious and it traumatized him.

Political-Social Issues. Political-social concerns including discrimination, homophobia,

stigmatization, domestic violence, and sexual harassment have also been identified in the BL
series. These political-social issues are challenging circumstances that many people in a society
are going through at the same time. Social-political issues include those more global concerns
which can, indeed, affect individuals, but which individuals - by themselves - cannot begin to
handle (Thoman, 1986).
The political-social issues that the characters in the Pinoy BL series had faced and represented
are as follows:

Discrimination/ Homophobia/ Prejudice. In Mga Batang Poz, HIV positives are being
discriminated against for contracting the virus. The prejudice of people that HIV is contagious
where they can get infected if they get skin to skin with a positive person, and that by just
talking to them face to face can already infect them, are some of the factors that discriminate
against the characters. These misconceptions are stigmatizing them, when in fact, HIV cannot
be easily transferred from one person to another. Unlike cold and flu viruses, the virus cannot
travel via the air (NHS Inform, 2023), and most especially, it is not a gay disease as some
unaware people are claiming it is. Sakristan, there was a scene where Christian goes to his
childhood friend who is also an acolyte, Wolf, to tell him that he is in love with Zach and that
he is confused about his sexuality. Wolf acted vehemently and told Christian that he would go
to hell. He even told Christian some discriminatory remarks like filthy sucker, faggot, homo,
and baboy. It shows how some religious people tend to become inhumane because of their
preconceived notions about LGBTQIA+ people. In Gaya sa Pelikula, there was a scene where
Vlad remembers all the discriminatory remarks that his sister used to tell him when they were
young, like, "talented sana pero bakla." (You are talented, but you are gay) and "Pabakla bakla
ka kase kasa iniwan tayo ni dad e." (Our father left us because you are gay.) Vlad was so upset
every time he remembered those words because it affected him so much, which caused him to
be distant from his family.

Stigmatization of HIV Positives. There were multiple scenes where the HIV positive
characters were discriminated against and have been attacked based on people's misconception

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license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 9
Journal of Humanities, Music and Dance
ISSN: 2799-1180
Vol : 03, No. 04, June-July 2023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.55529/jhmd.34.1.11

about HIV/AIDS. HIV positive characters in the BL series have been cast out, hated, and
discriminated against because most people thought that the virus is contagious and can be
transmitted easily such as talking to them nearly and even touching their belongings. Studies
show that people with strong social support are less likely to feel stigmatized than those who
are isolated” and this has been perceived in the Pinoy BL series where some of the HIV positive
characters were motivated to take medications because there are people around them who are
supporting them and inspiring them to keep fighting instead of stigmatising them (John
Hopkins University, 2022). It has been portrayed in the Pinoy BL series where HIV positive
characters were distressed and felt ashamed when they found out their real status with the virus.

Domestic Violence and Sexual Harassment. Ben in BenxJim experienced domestic violence
from Leo when they were still together. There were also similarities with regard to the reasons
for remaining with the abusive partner. Both heterosexual and homosexual victims commonly
listed the following aspects as reasons to stay: love for the partner, financial and emotional
dependency on the partner, (Merrill and Wolfe, 2000) and one of the reasons why the character
in the BL series chose to stay with his violent partner is due to its emotional dependency on
him since his partner does not have any support system other than him. Sexual harassment was
perceived in the BL series as well. In Mga Batang Poz, Chuchay was forced by a married man
to have sexual activities together, even though it was against Chuchay's will to do so. It shows
that Domestic violence is not limited to heterosexual relationships and can affect individuals
of all sexual orientations and genders.

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