are, too

listened intently to alfredo who was in a state over one of the cinemalaya movies. :) won't elaborate, it's his story to tell. however, want to pick up one of his ideas on what is really a movie that's, well, cinemalaya.

he said, the movie that he liked presented "gender concepts" (for lack of a handy term) as givens. the movie showed liberating ideas of personhood, sexuality, humanity, love. in that movie that he liked, as opposed to the movie he objected to, these were, as he said, given.

in the business of advocacy, ... no, scratch that. in the process of creating a better world where more people can breathe better because they can be, it makes a bigger impact when things "are". at least in the way that alternatives are presented. here're our dreams: they already are.

at least that's what i've observed too in the countless trainings on gender-sensitivity and awareness that i have been in. instead of hemming and hawing over potentially controversial ideas (being apologist about it, in a way), a good trainor will forge right ahead and present these as givens. if you're matter of fact and confident, participants will intuit your conviction and sincerity, and take notice. better yet, if you can show (again, matter of factly, as givens) rather than say. if they find the ideas appeal to them, they will mull it over or ask for elaborations and clarifications. in any event, these will stick in their minds, and grow. "aha, puwede pala ganun?"

learned this the long way, you could say. when i was just beginning to facilitate trainings, i agonized about how to show and convince participants that feminism isn't a bad word. but now i go right ahead and say feminist out loud.