Cabinet of Curiosities: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Selected Filipino Queer Students in-the-Closet

This study explores the lived experiences of Filipino queer students in-the-closet in a university in the Philippines. It utilized an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in interpreting the data gathered from semi-structured interviews. The study population consisted of five queer students in-the-closet in the academic year 2022–2023. The study was conducted through hermeneutical phenomenology and utilized a snowball and purposive sampling technique. The qualitative analysis revealed the following: Filipino queer students in-the-closet define the phenomenon based on their perceived experiences; they remain due to the societal expectations from their social environment that penetrate deep within their gender identity and gender expression; they encounter external challenges in their daily lives which cost internal psychological conflicts; the life challenges influenced their gender expression by making them resort to psychological defense mechanisms such as dissociation, self-control, and denial defenses; and lastly, they coped through focusing on interests, emotional repression, and socialization. In light of the findings, the researchers recommended that queer individuals in-the-closet may join social group forums that advocate for queer safety and security. In addition, families and friends are suggested to partake in a gender sensitivity program to improve their awareness and knowledge toward gender in general. School organizations and communities may create safe spaces for queer youth to help them have a safe place together with their fellow queer individuals. Furthermore, government institutions may reconsider having dialogue with school authorities and officials about better reinforcement of SOGIE policies.