Abstract:
Experts, journal articles and anecdotal evidences provide that mainstream Philippine movies and television programs (MPMTPs) have stereotypical tendencies about queer persons assigned male at birth (QPAMB). This study will want to look into exposure to and fondness for MPMTPs and their effects on stereotyping tendencies about QPAMB. It will examine the correlations between these variables with the population of college students from Las Piñas City and the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM). This research would want to compare the values of the correlations and know the implications of the differences. Furthermore, it will
look into the intervening variables (gender course or seminar exposure and social linkages with QPAMB) that may affect the correlation of the aforementioned variables. Aside from the stereotyping tendencies, the acceptance level of the college students will also be examined. The stereotyping scores and acceptance level of the two sets of college students will also be compared and factors behind the difference will also be assessed. A survey was conducted in three randomly selected colleges each in Las Piñas and UPM with both having 210 respondents. Each college student will be part of the study if he/she is part of the random class requested from the administration of each college, 18 years old or above, and if he/she consents to participate. The fondness for MPMTPs is measured from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) while exposure to MPMTPs will be measured by the hours spent by the respondent watching MPMTPs per day. Stereotyping score will be from 0 to 15 while acceptance level will be from 15 to 75. The results show that the correlation between exposure to MPMTPs and stereotyping score is greater with college students from UPM than with Las Piñas (.376; p<0.001 vs .135; p<0.025 respectively). On the other hand, the correlation between fondness for MPMTPs and stereotyping score is greater with college students from Las Piñas than with UPM (.381, p<0.001 vs .240, p<0.001 respectively). Gender education exposure has an effect on stereotyping scores and acceptance level while social linkages with QPAMB has none. Results also show that the mean stereotyping score of students from Las Piñas is greater than the mean stereotyping score of students from UPM (x̄ =8.00, SD=3.418 vs x̄ =3.32, SD=3.118 respectively). The mean acceptance level is greater with students from UPM than with students from Las Piñas (x̄ =69.78, SD=9.02 vs x̄ =55.17, SD=11.478 respectively). The factors behind such differences include academic freedom, accessibility to gender education, student organizations and councils, liberal school environment and proximity to LGBT campaigns and protests outside school. Because of the impact of MPMTPs to the stereotyping tendencies of college students, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) education and reforming of MPMTPs can help to attenuate such impact.
