Reading Guide: Sexuality and Sexual Freedom

Church and Chastity

“Cloister” by Mabi Perez David

1. Who is the narrator? How does her identity lend ethos to the plot?
2. What is the author’s opinion about sex and dialogues about sex? What are some examples that indicate them?
3. David writes, “We feast our eyes on what is left uncovered – thighs, arms, neck, face – and make up stories we are so eager to believe, willing to trade our costumes and chaste desks for these night tales her skin breathes.” What is the significance of the word “feast”? Considering the author’s language, how is sex a performance?
4. How does David explore the social dynamic between sexuality and the Catholic Church?
5. How does David explore queerness in the text? 

“Virgin” by Lourdes H. Vidal

1. Who is the narrator? Why is her age important to the societal message Vidal wishes to send? What is this message?
2. Who is the audience? To whom does the narrator speak to when she says “your desire”?
3. According to Vidal, what is the reciprocal relationship between feelings of sexual desire and womanhood? 
4. According to Vidal, what is the connection between the patriarchal male gaze and the Catholic Church? Why is mass the turning point for the narrator?

Sex and Queerness

“When You’re Six” by Nice Rodriguez

1. What is the tone of the piece? How does it lend ethos to the narrative? 
2. How does Rodriguez use language to explore motifs of queerness? 
3. Rodriguez writes the piece in the second-person. Who is the intended audience, and why do you think this pronoun decision was important? 
4. How does the author seek to capture the child-like innocence of the past while writing from the perspective of a much older woman? How do we see the feelings of sexual otherness, i.e. the tension between femininity and sexual attraction, through the eyes of a child? 
5. What does Rodriguez’s story observe about Filipino queer culture (i.e. “tomboy” culture), specifically lesbians? Do you think this representation of a queer child adds or detracts from the fight for LGBTQIA rights in the Philippines? Why or why not? Can you think of any similar narratives that might compliment this piece? 
6. How does Rodriguez approach queerness in a manner that is organic? (Explore the quote: “You tell yourself you’re not a butch. Like dirt, it will go away when you take a bath. You scrub yourself with soap and you’re not a butch anymore. But when you see the banana fritter girl, you turn into a butch again. And at six, you just let it be.”)

De-censoring the Human Body

“Magdalena’s Monologue” by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard 

1. What value do you think that Brainard’s writing has in the sphere of women’s literature? How does Brainard’s use of language create a tone of authenticity in the plot? 
2. How does Brainard challenge Filipino (ex-)wife and mistress culture? What critiques does the author have of marriage? 
3. How does Brainard take back ownership of her body? Broadly speaking, how does literature serve as a platform to reclaim one’s bodily autonomy? 
4. Why “Magdalena”? What significance does this biblical allusion have in challenging the Catholic Church’s stance on women’s sexual freedom? 

Sex and Post-Coloniality

“I am Now the Chaste Specter” by Michelle Rivera-Gravage

1. Who is the narrator of the piece? What is the author’s message? What is the effect of the piece’s parodic structure on the author’s message? 
2. What is the tone of the piece? How does the author attempt to use irony to combat colonialism?
3. According to Rivera-Gravage, what was society’s attitude of sex before colonization? After colonization? 
4. What is the meaning of Lesson Five: “When it hurts then you will know what it is all about”? What does this tell us about the influence of the Catholic Church?

Thematic Questions: 1) Why do you think the author chose to focus on childhood as a jumping off point for their societal critiques? 2) What various articulations do we see of the intricate relationship between femininity, womanhood, identity, and sex?