Bi Male Community
Highlighting the Best of Bi
By Mikee dela Cruz
PUBLISHED: JANUARY 2011

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On October 15, 2006, Radz Morada spearheaded the formation of the Bi Male Community (BMC) – a group that aimed to highlight the existence of a (quite obviously) bisexual male community in the Philippines.  The name (and the group it represents) is, in itself, contentious – many question the existence of bisexuals (people attracted to two sexes, stereotypically categorized as male and female), particularly bisexuality in the context of the Filipino GLBTQI community (i.e. many MSMs self-identify as bisexuals, pertaining their ‘straight-acting’/’straight-looking’ expressions of homosexuality).  But the intent is not too dissimilar from other groups in the GLBTQIA community: To push for acceptability of the diversity withint the community.

The challenge, says Morada, has always been on the membership.  “(There have been) members who leave the group due to some issues (faced within) the clan,” he admits, adding, nonetheless, that there may have been more quitting the group “due to other concerns, including (issues with their families)” who may actually be aggravated if/when knowing of the membership of a family member to a GLBTQIA organization.  “We are doing with these in ways we know how,” Morada says.

Morada believes that the group will somehow overcome the challenges it faces, though.  “We (treat each other) as family,” he says.  As such, group members help “deal with issues like they were theirs.”  It is this, too, that Morada says sets them apart from other like-minded groups in existence.

BMC currently has 35 ACTIVE members (there are more non-active members), coming from “all over,” Morada says, including Bulacan, Laguna, City of Manila, Makati City, Pasig City, Naga, Batangas, Rizal, et cetera.  “We continuously grow.”

How this growth is done is by meeting with “the newbies personally at the GEB to prove their willingness to join the group – the GEB is done every Saturday.”
With the growing membership, though, also comes the increased relevance – in 2009, BMC helped organize an inter-clan beauty pageant, the search for Mr. and Ms. Manila's Centerfold 2009 (held on June 20, 2009).  It more than celebrated beauty, but highlighted that given the right pushing, GLBTQIAs can get together.

“(I am inspired) by every GLBTQIA Filipino’s uniqueness,” Morada says, “that every individual has his/her own talent, (yet) we (even go) beyond our limits to... help each other – and we can't deny that we are the most helpful people!”

Already, BMC is looking at working with charity groups (like Sagip Kapamilya) to broaden the coverage of its civic duties.  With such activities, “I guess we (continue to extend) what is best from (GLBTQIAs).”

With that, truly, the best in GLBTQIs is represented.