Queer Diasporas on the Front Line

In this chapter, two front-line community workers in Toronto share their experiences of providing support to LGBTQ newcomer youth, caregivers, and Filipino gay men who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. As queer Filipinos themselves, Benjamin Bongolan and Constantine Cabarios respond to questions that draw out the underlying tensions of their race and gendered identities in a predominantly “white” profession in the Canadian context. They discuss the stigmas encountered within diasporic Filipino communities around queerness, and the heterogeneity of the queer Filipino community in Toronto and its diverse needs. Further, both Bongolan and Cabarios highlight the importance of creating safe spaces