Abstract:
Rainbow politics is the emergence of queer-led governance in public spaces which can be
viewed as a viable antithesis to male-dominated politics. It is garnering recognition in academia, but
critics undermine its significance as a political science concept. Moreover, the prevalence of SOGIEbased
discrimination remains a testament that the issue requires recognition. It is among the sector’s
dilemma that only a few members and allies occupy elective posts who will advance their causes. In
this regard, the researchers conducted a study aiming to understand the perspectives of LGBTQ+
youth members on their political participation in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK). The study’s
theoretical framework is focused on the Grounded Theory Approach and Critical Theory, particularly
Third-Wave Feminism. While the former was used to assess the impacts of institutions, the latter
was to analyze motivations, deterrents, and challenges faced by the study’s participants. An online
semi-structured interview was conducted to gather the data.
Results revealed that rainbow politics as viewed through the political participation of LGBTQ+
youth members in the SK elections is still considered in its developmental stage. Findings suggest
that most participants centered their advocacies as voices of the youth sector in general and not
representatives of the rainbow community. Furthermore, there is a propensity for LGBTQ+ youth
leaders to act in accordance with society’s masculine standard just to fit in, hence concealing their
LGBTQ+ characteristics. However, the fact that young members of the rainbow sector tried to
penetrate the realm dominated by men is a good sign that there are efforts to deviate from the
patriarchal status quo—a situation where leaders are defined based on capabilities and SOGIE
diversity is accepted in the political realm.
