New title, new cover, new life
This is the new cover of my book, “God Loves Bakla”, which will be released by Maverick House Publishers internationally in October this year. The new title was chosen by my publisher, who wanted a more accessible, less ethnic-sounding title, and I think it’s a great choice for a title, capturing perfectly the meaning and spirit of my book.
The new cover is fantastic as well. While I liked the original cover of GLB (that’s me in the “Heaven’s Gate” cave at Hoi An in central Vietnam), the new cover is certainly much more classy and professional. The artwork is beautifully done. The open cage suggests a more positive story than my original shadow in a cave. I love the new cover. Kudos to the artists of Maverick House!
The international release of “Of God and Men” has brought new life to this blog, which has been re-titled “Of God, Men and Bakla”. I have come back home to the Philippines after working for ten years in Cambodia (2001-2011) and the reason is that I would like to contribute more actively to the important work of LGBT rights advocacy in the country of my birth. I will report on my plans and activities in more detail in the weeks and months to come. I believe that the issue of equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons is the defining issue of our era. “Gay is the new black”, it has been said, and great strides have been made in many Western countries. It’s now time for the Philippines to catch up.
The “new life”, then, refers not just to this blog, but to my own new life, as an openly gay man in my conservative, predominantly Catholic country. I was still in the closet when I left back in November 2001. Ten years later I have changed, my life has changed, and yet I come home to a country that, in many respects, is not much different from the one I escaped ten years ago. But new wine needs new wineskins, so what to do?
Welcome to my new life.
GLB for sale at NBS
Hello, just a short update to let you know that copies of GLB are now available at National Book Store and Power Books outlets in the Philippines at the retail price of Php450 per.
They are also available at Centralbooks outlets, as previously announced.
Thanks to everyone who has bought a copy.
GLB is available at Centralbooks
Thank you for everyone who has bought, read and supported my book! For those interested in getting your copy, God Loves Bakla is available in the Philippines at the following Centralbooks outlets:
QUEZON CITY
G/F Phoenix Bldg., 927 Quezon Ave., Quezon City
Tel.372-3550 ext.31
MANILA
Ever Gotesco, Manila Plaza Mall, Recto Ave., Manila
Tel.734-6178
MAKATI
G/F Floor, inside Bridges Bookstore, Glorietta 3 Mall, Ayala Center, Makati
Tel. 892-7050
SM MEGA MALL
ORTIGAS CENTER
5th Level, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Tels.638-1088; 638-3540
CEBU
GV Bldg. P. Del Rosario St., Cebu City
Tel.032-253-0784
DAVAO
19-A Bldg. D., Aldevinco Shopping Center, Roxas Ave., Davao City
Tel.082-224-1070
ILOILO
Level 1, Mabini Wing, Robinson’s Place, Iloilo City
Tel. (033) 3380791
CAGAYAN DE ORO
West Concourse, Limketkai Mall, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City
Tel. (088) 856-6961
In Cambodia, where it was furst published, God Loves Bakla is available at Monument Books outlets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Other outlets will be announced soon, including a major national book chain. In the meantime, please tell your friends who are looking for GLB to go to the nearest Centralbooks outlet.
GLB: God Loves Batchoy
I just read this great review of GLB by Luis Batchoy of “Extra Super Special Batchoy with Egg.” Thanks, Luis!
God Loves Bakla
A Book Review/ Reaction/Reflection
By Luis Batchoy MCCQC
Warning: Spoilers ahead
” I am a 43-year-old Filipino gay man currently living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In July 2008 I completed a book about my life in the closet, which I hope will help people better understand homosexuality and homosexuals. Raised as a Catholic, I believe that God created me bakla and loves me as bakla. Since coming out of the closet in 2001, I have never been happier or more fulfilled as a person and as a Christian. I have come to realize that the Catholic Church is wrong to condemn homosexuality, which is actually a special grace from God.”
- Raymond Alikpala
God Loves Bakla is a memoir written by Raymond Paolo A. Alikpala. At the outset, let me say that I always take memoirs with a grain of salt. I am not so sure how far one can truly look back, remember, be objective and not romanticize or embellish a recollection. This is just however a personal bias I have with memoirs and ‘diary’ type books. For the purposes of being unbiased, let us just take then the author’s word at face value. After all it is his story. This piece is more of a personal reflection or reaction paper rather than a book review. Again, this is just me and my personal biases.
God Loves Bakla is the life story (so far) of the author. How he grew up in a very Catholic Family, was educated in a Catholic School, later on becoming a Lawyer, then a worker in Cambodia, and his struggle with living in the closet, his spirituality (or religiosity for that matter) acceptance of the self and later on, embracing and celebrating his homosexuality, and that proverbial quest for the Holy Grail: finding that one true love. Though the book is centered on the author’s religious and spiritual temperament and how he dealt with his homosexuality, it also touched on issues of national and even international importance. He recalls his own experience of the People Power Revolution and the ouster of the dictator, his struggles academically, his life in the novitiate of the Jesuit order, his expulsion from the novitiate, his work with the refugees in Cambodia, living the gay life in Cambodia and Thailand, his brushes with that love that dares not speak its name, and the eventual ‘happily-ever-after’ moment with his life partner.
Generally, the book is easy to read, and light. The events are chronological in order and the ending satisfying. I must admit though that his story telling could have been more streamlined, and at times the author would go to great lengths in repeatedly saying the same thing over and over again: inconsistency of his sexuality with his faith, his aversion and internalized homophobia, his spiritual/religious gripes – that sometimes borders on diatribe. I understand though that these points are important to him and for him to tell his story and bare his soul to the reader, and eventually make his point. Though I expected a more ‘epiphanic’ revelation from him or to have given or written more on how it was to have finally broken free and come out of the closet, I understand that it could have been a very confusing yet at the same time liberating experience for one who has been cooped up and closeted all his life. The happiness and wonder could have caused him to be less introspective thus glossing over that very particular stage in his life. Then again, this is his life, and this is his story.
I can relate to the author as I was brought up a catholic and educated in a catholic school – to be exact- a Jesuit school myself. My elementary years were in Santa Maria Catholic School (now Ateneo de Iloilo) and I too subscribe to the Jesuit worldview of being ‘men and women for others’ and the motto of ‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’. There were times though that I did not agree to or approve of his decisions, such as him telling of his ‘sin’ to his Novice Master leading to him jeopardizing his Novitiate. He knows for a fact, having been subject to stringent homophobic doctrines that this would possibly spell the end of his ‘religious calling,’ then again, this is his story and his life.
The book is wonderful, and his story, amazing and inspirational. If his being a virgin until the age of 32 is not something to marvel about then I do not know what else could. I even jokingly told Rev. Ceejay that the book is a little less interesting because sex comes at a very late part. Where’s the rough, body convulsing, death defying, world shattering, soul severing sex? But of course that’s just a joke. I may not be in agreement with the author with a few things, but that’s the charm of his story. I do not have to necessarily agree with him, yet the story remains fascinating.
His story is insightful and captivating. It discusses faith, politics, homoeroticism, breaking free and celebrating one’s sexuality. It offers by example, practical advices on coming out, dating and looking for love, the kind of love that dares not speak its name. The book made me think, rationalize, ratiocinate, be depressed, cry, laugh at the absurdity of life and other people, socialize, criticize, sympathize, empathize, celebrate his freedom, romanticized and be thrilled about the prospects of finding my own happily ever after. Again, I can relate with the author as I am a law student too, a developmental worker and a human rights advocate as well. The other thing that fascinates me is how he is able to write in an ‘unlawyerly; fashion. Simply put, he just bares his heart and soul for the world and sundry, complete with pride, ego, fears, joys, aspirations, hopes and dreams.
I hope seeing myself buying truckloads of copies so I can send them to my priest friends who are still hiding behind the cloth, to my lawyer friends who suffer from internalized homophobia, to my openly gay friends, to friends who have dilemmas coming out, and to a whole lot of people whom I believed will be touched and inspired by this book. I congratulate the bravery of the author in coming out with this book. I celebrate with him his acceptance of his sexuality. I romanticize with him his searching and finding his one true love. Incidentally, that specific quote stuck to my mind. He was telling of how he got angry at his partner for making him wait and missing their bus. He said he had been waiting for a whole day, and his partner answered him “I have been waiting for you all my life!” Saccharine!
With a sigh of relief, I told myself… Too bad there wasn’t MCCQC yet for him when he was lost. Good thing there is MCCQC now for the rest of us, and him too, should he feel like coming over.
Indeed! GOD LOVES BAKLA!
Come to MCCQC you guys!
Grab a copy. It’s a wonderful read!
For Copies, you may contact MCCQC
Mobile No. 0915.1814963 globe
Hotline: (02) 508.35.23
Luis hails from Iloilo City. You can read more of his fascinating blog at http://batchoyboi.blogspot.com/
GLB now available in Metro Manila
God Loves Bakla had a successful launch last Sunday, May 23, at Adarna Food and Culture, along Kalayaan, QC. Copies are now available in the Philippines at:
ACHIEVE, Inc.
162-A Sct. Fuentebella Ext., Brgy. Sacred Heart, Q.C.
Tel: 426-6147
Email: achieve_caram@yahoo.com
Claiming time is office hours only: 10:00-5:00 pm (M-F).
Price per copy: P400.00
Other outlets will be announced soon. Provincial orders will include actual shipping cost. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Ang Ladlad Partylist’s party-building activities.
Please help spread the word. And please buy your copy!
GLB now on sale
In Cambodia, at least.
GLB is now available at Monument Books outlet stores in Phnom Penh and the country’s two international airports (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap) for US$18 a copy (286 pp). It looks grand, in my view, and I think the cover price is reasonable.
If you’re passing by Cambodia, you can get a copy. Sorry, I haven’t quite worked out how to get it distributed in the Philippines. But I hope things will become clearer in this regard in the new year.
Merry Christmas to one and all!
Coming Soon: GLB the Book
I have decided to self-publish my book!
I recently announced this in my website, www.godlovesbakla.com. The post there now reads:
I am a 43-year-old Filipino gay man currently living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In July 2008 I completed a book about my life in the closet, which I hope will help people better understand homosexuality and homosexuals. Raised as a Catholic, I believe that God created me bakla and loves me as bakla. Since coming out of the closet in 2001, I have never been happier or more fulfilled as a person and as a Christian. I have come to realize that the Catholic Church is wrong to condemn homosexuality, which is actually a special grace from God.
I believe that there is no book like GLB in the Philippines yet. Since I have had problems finding a publisher, I have decided to go the self-publishing route. GLB will be out in Phnom Penh by December 2009, and I hope it will be available in Manila by early 2010.
Please write me an email if you’re interested in getting a copy.
God bless BAKLA!
Raymond
11 October 2009
The time has come. GLB will soon be on bookshelves–in Phnom Penh, at least.
I haven’t quite figured out how to do the marketing and selling via the Internet, but do send me an email, raymond@godlovesbakla.com, to push me to do something about it!
