Home⇛iCONNECT Multidisciplinary Research Journal⇛vol. 3 no. 1 (2026)

Love Beyond Pages

Faith Anne Moreno | Alma Patricia Ramos | Beatriz Santiago | Gilly Anne Tribiana

Discipline: others in creative arts and design

 

Abstract:

Though society has become more accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals, transgender people in the Philippines still face discrimination and stigma, especially in the dating scene. Societal attitudes such as cissexism and cisnormativity negatively affects trans people and cause many difficulties in their lives. To gain a better understanding and discern these difficulties, a mixed method of surveys and interviews was used to explore the effect of transphobia on a trans person’s dating experience and mental wellbeing. It was derived from a thematic analysis of the interviews that transgender people face interrelated factors such as “discrimination,” “exclusion,” “ignorance,” “objectification,” and “gender expectations.” Regarding the effects on one’s mental wellbeing, such difficulties caused “insecurity in identity,” a sense of “undesirability,” “emotional fatigue,” and “uncertainty in others'' in the respondents. This solidifies the need to overcome the stigma and misconceptions surrounding transgender people. As most respondents seek representation and awareness to break this stigma, webcomics are explored as a valid medium to express important stories and voices regarding the transgender experience, which may help not only other trans people but also spread awareness to everyone.



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