This is part of #KaraniwangLGBTQIA, which Outrage Magazine officially launched on July 26, 2015 to offer vignettes of LGBTQIA+ people/living, particularly in the Philippines, to give so-called “everyday people” – in this case, the common LGBTQIA+ people – that chance to share their stories.
As Outrage Magazine editor Michael David C. Tan says: “All our stories are valid – not just the stories of the ‘big shots’. And it’s high time we start telling all our stories.”
For Dior Argente, who is in his 20s, discovering his pansexuality was a journey.
“When I found I (am part of the LGBTQIA+ community), I first identified myself as a bisexual individual. Then I realized that I like boys, I like girls, and sometimes I like lesbians… so I found out I am a pansexual individual,” Dior said.
Looking for acceptance
As the only child, he had to deal with many issues when he decided to come out.
In 2021, he ran away from home. “I did that because they couldn’t accept me. They asked why I still had to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community when I’m their only child,” he said in Filipino and English.
After a year, however, Dior realized he missed his parents, so he returned home. By then they have softened their position; they started to be more accepting of him.
Dior said that self-love should be a priority, over and above finding a relationship. He dates, for instance, but he is choosy. “Of course, my priority is my mental health. For an LGBTQIA+ individual, it’s hard that you already have a confused mind, and then you also have to worry about emotions.”
Ongoing challenges
Being pansexual is challenging, Dior said. This is mainly because it is still largely misunderstood.
In his case, “I get compared with homosexual people,” he said, with people telling him: ‘He moves like this’, ‘He moves like that’, and ‘Maybe he’s really a homosexual who just claims he’s pansexual to avoid getting hate.’
Fear not
Dior believes that people who are still trying to find themselves should not fear experimenting. Pansexual people should not be scared, Dior said.
“I tried different things myself,” he said. “Don’t be scared. If you’re confused, take time to breathe. Then realize that there are people you can talk to who will help you find what you want for yourself.”
Wanted: Support
And for parents who continue to have issues with their gender diverse children, change your minds, said Dior, since they are in need of your support.
“There’s nothing wrong with us,” Dior said, adding that “it is hard to be LGBTQIA+ when in your own home you are caged, you have difficulties expressing yourself. This is why people get mental health problems. So we really need to support individuals in the (rainbow) spectrum.”
