title: Social construction of gender

text: Because the theory says that one can "do" gender whether they conform to gender norms or not (and is always held accountable for behaving in accordance with gender norms), change seems impossible. If essential differences between the sexes are problematic, a society where gender is omnirelevant could be argued to always uphold gender inequality. The language of "doing" gender implies doing difference instead of unraveling it. Most studies that rely on social constructionism explore the ways in which gender is constructed but nevertheless demonstrate how those gender constructions uphold gender as a construct and gender inequality.


title: Social construction of gender

text: However, because gender is "done" or constructed, it can also be "undone" or deconstructed. The study of the interactional level could expand beyond simply documenting the persistence of inequality to examine: (1) when and how social interactions become less gendered, not just differently gendered, (2) the conditions under which gender is irrelevant in social interactions, (3) whether all gendered interactions reinforce inequality, (4) how the structural (institutional) and interactional levels might work together to produce change, and (5) interaction as the site of change.


title: Social construction of gender

text: Theories that imply that gendered behavior is totally or mostly due to social conventions and culture represent an extreme nurture position in the nature versus nurture debate.


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: Sven-Ole Thorsen (born 24 September 1944) is a Danish actor, stuntman, bodybuilder and strongman competitor. Thorsen won Denmark's Strongest Man in 1983.


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: Using his stature he often plays imposing giants and villains in his films who are somehow beaten by smaller opponents in a David and Goliath manner, but he has also played heroic characters such as Gunnar the legendary warrior in "The Viking Sagas". His autobiography "Stærk mand i Hollywood" (Strong Man in Hollywood) was published on 26 October 2007, and was very well reviewed. The first printing of the book reportedly sold out in 24 hours.


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: He is known for his frequent appearances in Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, like "Conan the Barbarian", as the hammer-wielding Thorgrim; "The Running Man", as the ultimately-sympathetic bodyguard Sven; and in "Predator" as a rebel leader that executes a hostage. His other characters have included the boater-wearing security guard La Fours in "Mallrats", the unbeaten fighting legend Tigris of Gaul in "Gladiator", Lt. Michael 'Tank' Ellis, Ground Assault Unit in "Captain Power", to the menacing alien villain Secundus in "Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe", who is always hunting for the Anti-Life Equation without any success.


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: Thorsen has been credited in fifteen Arnold Schwarzenegger movies () (twelve as actor, three as stuntman or trainer), making him Schwarzenegger's most frequent collaborator. It began with "Conan the Barbarian", when Schwarzenegger brought Thorsen and other of his bodybuilder friends (like Franco Columbu) with him to shoot the movie. Later, when Thorsen moved to the United States, he met Schwarzenegger again while he was acting in the movie "Commando". Thorsen helped with some of the stuntwork in that movie, and quickly found work in many of the subsequent Schwarzenegger films.


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: In spite of Thorsen's thick Danish accent, his voice is almost never dubbed (an exception being "Hard Target"). Thorsen pursued his role as Tigris (of Gaul) in "Gladiator" for over a year, beating Lou Ferrigno for the part. The part won him two TAURUS World Stunt Awards in the ceremony's inaugural year.


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: Thorsen has founded various federations, including The Danish Bodybuilding Federation in 1979 and "Cigar Night at Schatzi" in Santa Monica, California along with Schwarzenegger. He has a black belt in Shotokan karate and holds championship titles.


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: Thorsen is 192 centimetres (6 feet, 3.5 inches) tall and while appearing in "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) he weighed 138 kilograms (304 lbs), according to his autobiography (page 24 & 110).


title: Sven-Ole Thorsen

text: Thorsen lives in Santa Monica, California and had two dogs, a Jack Russell Terrier named Jake and an American Bull Terrier named Cleo (now dead). He won the Danish "Show of Winners" Award of the Year 2006, honouring people who have a special affiliation with dogs.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) in the Philippines face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBT people, with numerous anti-discrimination legislations, bills and laws that are struggling to be passed on a national level to protect LGBT rights nationwide, with some parts of the country only existing on a local government level. LGBT individuals in the Philippines are often faced with disadvantages and difficulties in acquiring equal rights within the country. They also have a higher rate of suicide and suicide ideation compared to their heterosexual counterparts.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Numerous bills for LGBT rights in the country were proposed since, including an anti-discrimination bill, which has been debated since the year 2000. Despite failing to pass, many anti-discrimination ordinances in the country exist on a local government level in eight provinces and various cities in the Philippines so far, including capital Manila, and major cities like Iloilo City, Cebu City, and Davao City.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Meanwhile, an anti-bullying law exists, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity as some of its prohibited grounds.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In 2022, two civil union bills have been refiled and proposed in Philippine Congress; both of which seeking to recognize and provide benefits and protection to same-sex couples in the Philippines.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: As a member of the United Nations, the Philippines is signatory to various international covenants promoting human rights including LGBT rights.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Alongside these developments, LGBT movements in the Philippines have been very active and gain at least some political representation.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In the classical era of the islands, prior to Spanish occupation, homosexual individuals usually (but not always) became "babaylan", which are traditionally feminine shamans of the animistic religions. They functioned as healers, mediators, and highly respected spiritual leaders of the communities on par with the ruling nobility. These shamans, however, were persecuted during the conversion of most Philippine ethnic groups into Christianity and Islam, resulting in the discrimination faced by the LGBT community in the present-day.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Priestesses, or "babaylan", held positions of authority as religious leaders or healers in some precolonial Philippine societies. Cross-dressing or transvestite males sometimes took on the role of the female "babaylan".


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The "babaylan", also called "katalonan", "bayoguin", "bayok", "agi-ngin", "asog", "bido" and "binabae" depending on the ethnic group of the region, held important positions in the community. They were the spiritual leaders of the Filipino communities, tasked with responsibilities pertaining to rituals, agriculture, science, medicine, literature and other forms of knowledge that the community needed. In the absence of a "datu", the "babaylan" could take charge of the whole community.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The role of the "babaylan" was mostly associated with females, but male "babaylans" also existed. Early historical accounts record the existence of male "babaylans" who wore female clothes and took the demeanor of a woman. Anatomy was not the only basis for gender. Being male or female was based primarily on occupation, appearance, actions and sexuality. A male "babaylan" could partake in romantic and sexual relations with other men without being judged by society.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Precolonial society accepted gender-crossing and transvestism as part of their culture. Rituals and trances performed by the "babaylan" mirrored the reunification of the opposites, the male and female. They believed that by doing this they would be able to exhibit spiritual potency, which would be used for healing spiritual brokenness. Outside this task, male "babaylans" sometimes indulged in homosexual relations. Additionally, many stories from indigenous oral literature exemplified the representation of LGBT characters through deities and the like.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: During the Islamization of Mindanao, barangays and states influenced by Islam expelled the belief of homosexual acceptance. Nevertheless, states and barangays that were not Islamized continued to practice acceptance on homosexuality and gender-bending cultures and belief systems.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Spanish conquistadors introduced a predominantly patriarchal culture to the precolonial Philippines. Males were expected to demonstrate masculinity in their society, alluding to the Spanish "machismo" or a strong sense of being a man. Confession manuals made by the Spanish friars during this period suspected that the natives were guilty of sodomy and homosexual acts. During the 17th–18th century Spanish Inquisition period, Spanish administrators burned people accused of being sodomites to enforce the decree made by Pedro Hurtado Desquibel, President of Audiencia.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: "Datus" were appointed as the district officers of the Spaniards while the "babaylan" were reduced to relieving the worries of the natives. The removal of the "datu" system of localized governance affected babaylanship. The "babaylans" eventually disappeared with the colonization of the Spaniards. Issues about sexual orientation and gender identity were not widely discussed after the Spanish colonization.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Throughout the Spanish colonial period, numerous accounts of "babaylan" who defied Spanish colonial rule were recorded. The most prominent three of which are those of a Hiligaynon "babaylan" named Tapara, a Cebuano "babaylan" named Ponciano Elofre, and another Hiligaynon "babaylan" named Gregorio Lampino. A 1663 account of a fray named Juan Fernandez noted that a male "babaylan" named Tapara or Tapar from Lambunao, Iloilo led a revolt against the Spanish. Tapara was described as a "mystic who dressed and acted like a female". The late 19th century had two prominent "babaylans" who led revolutions against Spain. The first is the skirt-wearing and allegedly bisexual ("silahis") Ponciano Elofre. The other male "babaylan" was Gregorio Lampino.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Four decades of American occupation saw the promulgation and regulation of sexuality through a modernized mass media and a standardized academic learning. Furthered by the growing influence of Western biomedicine, it conceived a specific sexological consciousness in which the "homosexual" was perceived and discriminated as a pathological or sick identity. Filipino homosexuals eventually identified to this oppressive identity and began engaging in projects of inversion, as the disparity of "homo" and "hetero" entrenched and became increasingly salient in the people's psychosexual logic.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Though American colonialism brought the Western notion of "gay" and all its discontents, it also simultaneously refunctioned to serve liberationist ends. While it stigmatized the local homosexual identity, the same colonialism made available a discussion and thus a discursive position which enabled the homosexualized bakla to speak. It was during the neocolonial period in the 1960s that a conceptual history of Philippine gay culture began to take form, wherein a "subcultural lingo of urban gay men that uses elements from Tagalog, English, Spanish and Japanese, as well as celebrities' names and trademark brands" developed, often referred to as "swardspeak," "gayspeak" or "baklese". Gay literature that was Philippine-centric also began to emerge during this period. Further developments in gay literature and academic learning saw the first demonstrations by LGBT political activists, particularly LGBT-specific pride marches.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: A known LGBT figure from this era (who only became much known after the 1990s) was Crispulo Trinidad Luna (1903–1970), also known as Pulong.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, several Filipino LGBT people were forced into sexual slavery as comfort women, including several men. The story of Walterina Markova was told in a 2000 movie entitled "Markova: Comfort Gay". He died in 2005 without any compensation from the Japanese Government, like the majority of Filipina comfort women.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: During the implementation of the Martial law, citizens were silenced by the Government of the Philippines through the military. People, including the LGBT community, did not have a voice during this period, and many were harassed and tortured. At the behest of Imelda Marcos, an anti-gay book was published that clarified the agonistic situation of gay culture at the same time that all other progressive movements in the country were being militaristically silenced. Many homosexuals fled or were forcefully exiled to the United States where some joined movements advocating LGBT rights. The community responded to this through the use of several mediums, such as the 1980s film "Manila by Night", which introduces an LGBT character in its plotline. When the regime ended, those exiled returned to the Philippines, introducing new ideas of gay and lesbian conceptions.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: "Swardspeak", a form a slang used by homosexuals, emerged in the 1960s. This era also saw singer and performer Helen Cruz, a pioneering transgender activist. During the 1970s and 1980s, Filipino concepts of "gay" were greatly influenced by Western notions. According to "Being LGBT in Asia: The Philippines Country Report", LGBT people who were exposed to the Western notion of being "gay" starting to have relationships with other LGBT people, instead of with heterosexual-identifying people. Towards the end of the 1980s, an increase in awareness of LGBT Filipinos occurred. In 1984, a number of gay plays were produced and staged. The plays that were released during the said time tackled the process of "coming out" by gay people.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Based on a report made by USAID, in partnership with UNDP, entitled "Being LGBT in Asia: The Philippines Country Report", the LGBT community during the early 90s wrote several books that raised awareness, such as "Ladlad", a 1993 anthology of Philippine gay writing edited by Danton Remoto and J. Neil Garcia, and Margarita Go-Singco Holmes's "A Different Love: Being Gay in the Philippines" in 1994. This decade also marked the first demonstration of attendance by an organized sector of the country's LGBT community in the participation of a lesbian group called Lesbian Collective, as they joined the International Women's Day March 1992. Another demonstration of attendance was made by ProGay Philippines and MCC Philippines, led by Oscar Atadero and Fr. Richard Mickley respectively, when they organized a Pride march on June 26, 1994, which marked the first Pride-related parade hosted by a country in Asia and the Pacific. Throughout the decade, various LGBT groups were formed such as the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) in 1991, UP Babaylan in 1992 and ProGay Philippines in 1993, and according to the report, the 1990s are the "probable maker of the emergence of the LGBT movement in the Philippines". In 1998, the Akbayan Citizens' Action Party became the first political party to consult the LGBT community and helped with the creation of the first LGBT lobby group, the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network, otherwise known as LAGABLAB, in 1999. LAGABLAB proposed revisions to LGBT rights in 1999 and filed the "Anti-Discrimination Bill" (ADB) in 2000.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The LGBT movement has been very active in the new millennium. In the advent of the 2000s, more LGBT organizations were formed to serve specific needs, including sexual health (particularly HIV), psychosocial support, representation in sports events, religious and spiritual needs, and political representation. For example, the political party Ang Ladlad was founded by Danton Remoto, a renowned LGBT advocate, in 2003. The community has also shown their advocacies through the 21st LGBT Metro Manila Pride March held in Luneta Park on June 27, 2015, with the theme, "Fight For Love:"Iba-Iba. Sama-Sama"". This movement aims to remind the nation that the fight for LGBT rights is a fight for human rights. Advocates are calling on the Philippines to recognize the voices of people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. In present time, there remains no umbrella LGBT organization in the Philippines. Therefore, organizations tend to work independently of each other. Due to these divisions, there remains no prioritization of efforts, with organizations focusing on what they consider as important for them.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In December 2004, Marawi City city council voted to ban males from going out in public wearing female attire, makeup, earrings "or other ornaments to express their inclinations for femininity". The law passed by the Marawi City Council also bans skintight blue jeans, tube tops and other skimpy attire. Additionally, women (only) must not "induce impure thoughts or lustful desires". The mayor said these moves were part of an Islamic "cleaning and cleansing" drive.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In a United Nations Assembly meeting for the establishment of an UN-backed LGBT Watch Personnel, the Philippine permanent delegate abstained from voting. Islamic nations and some eastern European nations voted against its establishment. Nevertheless, countries from Western Europe and the Americas with the backing of Vietnam, South Korea and Mongolia, voted in favor of its establishment. The LGBT Watch Personnel was established after the majority of nations in the meeting voted in its favor. A few months after the establishment of the expert, an African-led coalition of nations made a move to dislodge the LGBT expert. In November 2016, UN members voted by a majority to retain the UN expert on LGBT issues. However, the representative of the Philippines chose to abstain again, despite outcry of support for the LGBT expert to be retained from various sectors in the country.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In 2016, Geraldine Roman became the first openly transgender woman elected to the Congress of the Philippines. Additionally, several openly LGBT people have been elected to local government positions throughout the Philippines, including as mayors or councillors. In Northern Samar, two of the province's 24 municipalities were run by openly LGBT mayors at that time. The provinces of Albay, Cebu, Leyte, Nueva Vizcaya and Quezon as well as Metro Manila have LGBT elected officials.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In late 2016, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under Secretary Judy Taguiwalo enforced a policy, together with the Department of Education, where they allowed students to use uniforms that match their gender identities, effectively accepting students who dress themselves as the opposite gender.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In July 2017, the Department of Education implemented the "Gender-Responsive Basic Education Policy", which entails a review of public schools' curriculum to look at all forms of gender stereotypes, including LGBT-based. The policy also mandates the observance of gender and development related events in schools; stating that June be celebrated as Pride Month.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: According to the report of the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus released in November 2017 in time for the ASEAN Summit, the Philippines is shifting to "a trend to be more open and accepting of LGBT issues" as seen in the rise of cooperation and acceptance from government officials, especially in municipalities and cities nationwide such as Zamboanga City, Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Baguio, and many more. The report also stated that there have been over 20 local government units that have adopted local ordinances on gender equality, but only two cities – Quezon City and Cebu City – have existing implementing rules and regulations (IRR).


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: On June 26, 2020, police arrested around 20 people during a LGBT Pride march in Manila. The protesters were subsequently charged under various laws, though they were following social distancing protocols. Human Rights Watch accused the Philippine Government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to crack down on dissent and peaceful protests.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Non-commercial, consensual sexual activity between people of the same-sex in private is legal and has never been constitutionally criminalized within the country in general. The minimum age of consent is set at 16 years of age, regardless of gender and/or sexual orientation. However, sexual conduct or affection that occurs in public may be subject to the "grave scandal" prohibition in Article 200 of the Revised Penal Code, which states:ARTICLE 200. Grave Scandal.—The penalties of arresto mayor and public censure shall be imposed upon any person who shall offend against decency or good customs by any highly scandalous conduct not expressly falling within any other article of this Code.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Clerical Error Law of 2001 (RA 9048) makes it illegal for transgender persons in the Philippines to change their sex in their birth certificates. The said law specifically states that “no correction must involve the change of nationality, age, status or sex of the petitioner” without a judicial order. There was however at least one case where the Supreme Court of the Philippines affirmed a lower court’s decision to change the person’s gender legal marker due to the person’s intersex status.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: No national law in the Philippines criminalizes cross-gender behavior. However, cross-dressers and transgender people may be excluded from some private and public spaces, oftentimes with little or no legal consequences. The Philippines has several accounts of gender diverse people being refused entry and service by establishments.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Marawi City passed an ordinance against "cross-dressing" in 2004. In December 2004, Marawi City banned males from going out in public wearing female attire, makeup, earrings "or other ornaments to express their inclinations for femininity". The resolution passed by the Marawi City Council also bans skintight blue jeans, tube tops and other skimpy attire. Additionally, women (only) must not "induce impure thoughts or lustful desires." The mayor said these moves were part of a "cleaning and cleansing" drive.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Murders of transgender and gender-nonconforming persons in the Philippines were reported from at least 2012. Several were notably committed by pro-ISIS groups in Marawi. In the aftermath of the five-month siege of Marawi by pro-ISIS militia, some affected Marawi residents blamed the city's LGBT community as having caused the wrath of the militias. Individuals perceived as LGBT were at times harassed in the displacement camps, as a result.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Philippines does not legally recognize same-sex unions, either in the form of marriage or civil unions. The Family Code of the Philippines defines only recognizes marriages between "a man and a woman". The Constitution itself does not mention the legality of same-sex unions.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: As of the 19th Congress, there is two proposals to introduce same sex unions in the Philippines. These are House Bill 1015, the Civil Partnership Act, of Bagong Henerasyon representative Bernadette Herrera and Senate Bill 449, the Civil Unions Act of Muslim Senator Robin Padilla.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Same-sex couples may not file for joint adoption, given that same-sex unions is not recognized under the law. However, according to the eligibility requirements which govern Philippine domestic adoption, there are no explicit laws that bar LGBTQ+ individuals from adopting children. The requirements for being a prospective adopter do not take into consideration the adopter's sexual orientation or gender identity.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: While this is the case, prospective LGBT adopters may still be considered unfit to adopt if the state decides that they do not have "good moral character". The Civil Code, the Family Code, and the Child and Youth Welfare Code require that parents must be able to provide moral formation for the child. The abstract nature of this parental duty leaves the term open to interpretation. Depending on the inclinations of the state, someone who is LGBTQ+ may not be allowed to exercise parental authority over a child because the state has judged them as "immoral".


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Magna Carta for Public Social Workers addresses concerns regarding the discrimination of public social workers because of their sexual orientation:Section 17. Rights of a Public Social Worker. – Public social workers shall have the following rights:1.) Protection from discrimination on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, age, political or religious beliefs, civil status, physical characteristics/disability or ethnicity;2.) Protection from any form of interference, intimidation, harassment, or punishment, to include, but not limited to, arbitrary reassignment or termination of service, in the performance of his/her duties and responsibilitiesThe Magna Carta for Women also provides an insight regarding the state's duties towards maintaining the rights of women, regardless of their sexual orientation:The State affirms women's rights as human rights and shall intensify its efforts to fulfill its duties under international and domestic law to recognize, respect, protect, fulfill, and promote all human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, especially marginalized women, in the economic, social, political, cultural, and other fields without distinction or discrimination on account of class, age, sex, gender, language, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability, education, and status.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In 2001, an anti-discrimination bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation was unanimously approved by the House but it was stalled in the Senate, and ultimately died.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The only bill directly concerning discrimination against the LGBT community in the Philippines is the "Anti-Discrimination Bill", also known as the "SOGIE Equality Bill". This bill seeks that all persons regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity be treated the same as everyone else, wherein conditions do not differ in the privileges granted and the liabilities enforced. The bill was introduced by Hon. Kaka J. Bag-ao, the District Representative of the Dinagat Islands, on July 1, 2013. A huge bloc of lawmakers, collectively called the "Equality Champs" of Congress, have been pushing for the full passage of the "Anti-Discrimination Bill" for 18 years. More than 130 lawmakers backed its complete passage and legislation in the first month of its reintroduction to Congress in 2016 alone.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: On September 20, 2017, the bill passed its third reading in the House of Representatives, in a unanimous 198–0 vote, under the wing of representatives Kaka Bag-ao, Teddy Baguilat, Tom Villarin, Christopher de Venecia, Geraldine Roman, Arlene Brosas, Carlos Zarate, and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez after 17 years of languishing in Congress. After passage in the House, the bill had to be voted on in the Senate. Conservative senators Tito Sotto, Manny Pacquiao, and Joel Villanueva told media that they would block the bill at its current state, while Win Gatchalian, Dick Gordon, Migz Zubiri, Cynthia Villar, Ping Lacson, Gregorio Honasan, Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Ralph Recto and Koko Pimentel expressed support only if modifications to the bill were passed. Senator Risa Hontiveros, the principal author and backer of the bill, championed the bill's passage in the Senate. The bill was also backed by senators Nancy Binay, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino, Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Kiko Pangilinan, Grace Poe, Antonio Trillanes, Sonny Angara, and Leila de Lima. In January 2018, the bill finally reached the period of amendments after the period of interpolations was deemed finished. It took almost a year before it reached the period of amendments due to conservative senators who vowed to block the bill until the very end. In February and March 2018, senators Sotto, Pacquiao and Villanueva renewed their call against the passage of the bill in any of its possible forms. In June 2019, with the end of the session of the 17th Congress, the bill officially died, as the Senate had failed to tackle it in that session. The bill has become one of the slowest-moving bills in the country's history. The passed house version of the bill would have penalised discrimination with a fine of not less than ₱100,000 but not more than ₱500,000, or imprisonment of between one and six years, depending on the court's decision. Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed confidence that the bill would pass the next Congress, and commented on the bill's wider acceptance among policy makers and the public.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In early July 2019, Senator Sonny Angara introduced a new proposal to Congress. "Any form of discrimination threatens social stability and economic progress in the Philippines, making it imperative that discrimination—or any act that establishes, promotes and perpetuates standing inequalities and disregards the right to 'equality of treatment' afforded by the 1987 Constitution—be reduced", Angara argued. The measure would prohibit unfair discrimination based on, among other categories, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. In September 2019, President Duterte expressed in-principle support for the bill, though stated that he personally preferred a general anti-discrimination law.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Eight provinces prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. These are Albay (2022), Agusan del Norte (2014), Bataan (2021), Batangas (2015), Cavite (2014–18), the Dinagat Islands (2016), Ilocos Sur (2017), and Iloilo (2016). The province of Cavite previously prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation only, but enacted gender identity protections in 2018.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Various cities, barangays and municipalities throughout the Philippines also have non-discrimination ordinances, some of which are as follows: Angeles City (2013), Antipolo (2015), Bacolod (2013), Baguio (2017), Batangas (2016), Butuan (2016), Calamba (2017), Candon (2014), Cebu (2012), Davao (2012), Dumaguete (2019), General Santos (2016), Himamaylan City (2018), Ilagan (2019), Iloilo (2018), Malabon (2018), Mandaluyong (2018), Mandaue (2016), Manila (2020), Marikina (2019), Orani (2019), Pasig (2022), Poro (2019), Puerto Princesa (2015), Quezon (enacted in 2003, and expanded further in 2014), San Juan (2017), Santa Rosa (2014), Taguig (2018), Valenzuela (2019), Vigan (2014), and Zamboanga City (2020).


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The city of Dagupan enacted an anti-discrimination ordinance in 2010, which includes sexual orientation as a protected characteristic. The anti-discrimination ordinance does not explicitly mention gender identity. However, the terms "sex", "gender" and "other status" could be interpreted as covering it.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Sexual orientation and gender identity are included as prohibited grounds of bullying in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the "Anti-Bullying Law", approved by Congress in 2013.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Several religious beliefs exists within the country, including Roman Catholicism, the Aglipayan Church, indigenous Philippine folk religions and Islam, among many others. These different faiths have their own views and opinions towards the topic of homosexuality.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country with approximately 82.9% of the population claiming to be Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church has been one of the most active religious organizations in the country in opposition to the LGBT community. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines firmly states that marriage should only exist between a man and a woman. They have also called on individuals and politicians to actively oppose same-sex marriage, arguing that individuals should refuse to take part in ceremonies celebrating same-sex relationships and politicians should resist legalizing marriages of same-sex couples. They also stated that "A homosexual union is not and can never be a marriage as properly understood and so-called." However, according to Archbishop Socrates Villegas, "being a homosexual is not a sin. It is a state of a person." The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines made a statement welcoming the LGBT community, stating that gay people should be "welcomed with respect and sensitivity"


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) is a progressive, LGBT-affirming and ecumenical Christian Denomination that started in Los Angeles, October 6, 1968. It has 3 local churches in the Philippines, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Baguio, has been celebrating weddings between same-sex couples since the 1991. MCC Makati, the original and mother MCC Church in the Philippines started doing weddings (Holy Union) for LGBTQI+ couples since 1991. MCC Makati has since closed and stopped its operations in 2019. Open Table MCC (Mandaluyong) started in 2006 and Norther Sanctuary (Baguio) started in 2009. An MCC emerging ministry group also gathers in Marikina. The local churches consider themselves as an ecumenical Christian church which performs weddings for LGBTQI+ couples "regardless of their Christian backgrounds". The church leadership has said that "weddings are an inherent right of people who love each other." The first same-sex marriage that was performed by the founding church in Los Angeles, USA, was in 1969 between two lesbians. The time of the wedding was symbolic as it was the year when the globally-historic Stonewall riots took place, sparking the beginning of the LGBT rights movement.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The executive director of the non-governmental organization EnGendeRights has said that while the same-sex marriages performed by the MCC are not recognized civilly or legally, they are considered valid under the MCC's religious customs.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Philippine Independent Church (also known as Iglesia Filipina Independiente and Aglipayan Church) has had a history of violence against members of the LGBT community. However, in the early 21st century, the church position changed dramatically to an extent where the church leadership apologized through an official statement to the LGBT community. The church recognized that it has "shown indifference, and [had made] LGBT people feel less human, discriminated against and stigmatized". The statement – dubbed "Our Common Humanity, Our Shared Dignity" – stresses the church's position that it "must openly embrace God's people of all sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions".


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The apology statement's groundwork first came up in 2014, when a gay man articulated during the church plenary his query about the church's plans for sexual minorities. This led to discussions among the newly elected set of national youth officers, led by an openly gay president and a lesbian executive vice president, which would later be succeeded by another openly gay president. The church position on LGBT persons was officially adopted by the entire church in February 2017.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Iglesia ni Cristo adheres to the teachings of the Bible and they denounce those who practice homosexual acts, as they are seen as immoral and wicked. The organization has been called by international human rights organizations as one of the most homophobic religious sects operating in the Philippines. These acts include having sexual affairs and relations with partners of the same sex, cross-dressing, and same-sex marriage. Furthermore, men are not allowed to have long hair, for it is seen as a symbol of femininity and should be exclusive to women only. LGBT people born into INC families reportedly suffer the greatest as their existence is branded explicitly as wicked by their own family and the pastor of their locality. Numerous cases also exist where INC members who chose to leave the faith faced massive backlash from family members, pastors, and other INC members locally and abroad, making it hard for INC members to get away from the church. Hate crimes and forced conversion therapy committed by family members towards INC LGBT teenagers have also surfaced and are backed by the Templo Sentral, the central establishment of the INC church. The INC has been widely known to the Filipino LGBT community as the most dangerous and discriminating religion for LGBT Filipinos. The church believes that no matter what a person does, good or bad, if the person is homosexual (closeted or not), he or she will still burn in hell.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The position of the United Methodist Church towards LGBT-inclusiveness is divided worldwide. In developed nations, members of the church tend to be more in favor of LGBT rights, whereas members in developing nations tend to oppose. In 2019, during a worldwide church meeting, held in the United States, Filipino delegates voted in favor of a strengthened ban on LGBT members. The agenda was approved with 438 voting in favor and 384 voting against.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: For Muslim communities in the Philippines, dealing with homosexuality or transgender issues is a matter of sin and heresy. In sharia states abroad, male homosexuality is punishable by persecution and/or death, although this strict and controversial interpretation of Islamic law is not present in any areas of the Philippines where sharia is adhered to legally or socially. The city of Marawi, which has declared itself as an "Islamic City", has passed an ordinance that allows discrimination against LGBT citizens. The ordinance has yet to be challenged in court. Mohagher Iqbal, a senior MILF leader once said that "[w]e have no policy to kill gays and lesbians, but we discourage homosexuality". The statement came after reports that LGBT people are fleeing Marawi and a surge of reported derision and abuse at home and discrimination at school had steadily increased.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Indigenous belief systems and religions in the country, collectively known as Anitism, regard homosexual acts as part of nature, and thus, acceptable, and to some extent, even sacred. Local men dressed up in women's apparel and acting like women were called, among other things, "babaylan", "bayoguin", "bayok", "agi-ngin", "asog", "bido" and "binabae". Some of these feminized men worked as spiritual leaders or shamans. They were respected leaders and figures of authority: religious functionaries and shamans. However, due to the influential spread of Islam in the south and Christianity in the entire country, such indigenous belief systems were subjugated. Concepts of homosexuality, bisexuality, and hermaphrodites are known in the epics and indigenous stories in Anitism. Around 2% of the population continue to practice the religion.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Recognized as an important venue for the promotion of issues related to the LGBT community by participants in national dialogue facilitated by the UNDP, the media acknowledges the negative impact of religion concerning the treatment of such issues, where it provides a blanket context that society views homosexuality as negative.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In May 2004, producers of several television programs received a memorandum from the chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), which warned against positive depictions of lesbian relationships; it was stated in the memo that "lesbian and homosexual relationships are an abnormality/aberration on prime-time TV programs gives the impression that the network is encouraging homosexual relationships."


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The lack of sexual orientation and gender identity awareness is emphasized in other circumstances; transphobia is ubiquitous with media practitioners who do not address transgender people in accordance with how they self-identify. At the 2013 Cinemalaya indie awards, transgender actress Mimi Juareza won under the Best Actor category, and in reports, she was referred to repeatedly using the male pronoun. In 2014, the death of Jennifer Laude and the investigation conducted was highly publicized, with practitioners referring to her as Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Participants in the UNDP-facilitated national dialogue stated that content emphasized a general lack of understanding for sexual orientation and gender identity, such that LGBT stereotypes dominate; there are many gay men hosting programs at radio stations and television networks, but they are limited to covering entertainment shows. There is an apparent lack of representation for lesbians and transgender people. Given their platform, some media personalities have publicly shared their anti-LGBT sentiments; in 2009 newspaper columnist Ramon Tulfo wrote that LGBT people "should not also go around town proclaiming their preferences as if it was a badge of honor."


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Beyond mainstream media, which already has a niche for the sector, the Internet has provided LGBT people ways to tell their stories outside the realm of film, television, print, and radio. There are blogs kept, opportunities to connect with others, publications with LGBT sections and a web-based magazine, "Outrage", catering to the community.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Ryan Thoreson in his article "Capably Queer: Exploring the Intersections of Queerness and Poverty in the Urban Philippines" researched the LGBT community in the Philippines and how it copes with living in the country. He interviewed a total of 80 LGBT informants to gather the data. Based on his research LGBT employment and observations, he concluded that under a half of the respondents were employed and weekly income mean was only 1514.28 pesos per week. The survey also stated that "less than one-third have stable income and very few enjoyed any kind of benefits", and 75% of its respondents said that they would like to do more wage-earning work.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: As for its empowerment section, the survey stated that when the respondents were asked to tell their primary contribution to the household, 45% of them named household chores as their primary contribution, 30% stated giving money or paying the bills, 17.5% provided labor and money, and 7.5% said that they were not expected to contribute anything. As for their privacy, 75% of the respondents said that they had enough privacy and personal space.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In terms of safety and security, Thoreson's journal also provides statistical data in terms of the LGBT community's involvement in crimes as victims. According to the survey he made, 55% of his respondents were harassed on the street, 31.2% were robbed, 25% had been physically assaulted, 6.25% had been sexually assaulted, 5% had survived a murder attempt, and 5% had been blackmailed by the police.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The LGBT community, although a minority in the economic sphere, still plays an integral role in the growth and maintenance of the economy. LGBT individuals face challenges in employment both on an individual level and as members of a community that is subject to discrimination and abuse. This can be compounded by the weak social status and position of the individuals involved.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: A USAID study conducted in 2014, entitled "The Relationship between LGBT Inclusion and Economic Development: An Analysis of Emerging Economies", has shown that countries which have adopted anti-LGBT economic laws have lower GDPs compared to those who do not discriminate against employers/employees based on their sexual orientation. The link between discrimination and the economy is direct, since the discrimination experienced by members of the LGBT community turn them into disadvantaged workers, which can be bad for business. Disadvantaged workers usually practice absenteeism, low productivity, inadequate training and high turnover, which make for higher labor costs and lower profits. According to the USAID study, LGBT people in their sample countries are limited in their freedoms in ways that also create economic harms. This coincides with Emmanuel David's article, Transgender Worker and Queer Value at Global Call Centers in the Philippines, in which he states that "trans- and gender-variant people have always sought paid employment, and they have routinely performed unpaid labor and emotional work". In his article, he focuses on how in the Philippines there is a growing market of trans women looking for employment so they have tried creating their own space as "purple collar" but still face discrimination.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: On the other hand, studies have shown that the integration of the LGBT community into the economic system yields a higher income for the country. In a recent USAID study, it is said that a wide range of scholarly theories from economics, political science, sociology, psychology, public health and other social sciences support the idea that full rights and inclusion of LGBT people are associated with higher levels of economic development and well-being for the country. Also, the acceptance of LGBT people within the office environment can lead to higher income for the company since the people do not feel as disadvantaged and as discriminated as before. Another thing is that a better environment for LGBT individuals can be an attractive bargaining chip for countries seeking multinational investments and even tourists, since a conservative climate that keeps LGBT people in the closet and policymakers from recognizing the human rights of LGBT people will hold their economy back from its full potential. Naturally, passing a non-discrimination law will not immediately lead to a sudden boost in the country's economy, although less discrimination should eventually lead to more output.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Marginalized sectors in society recognised in the national electoral law include categories such as elderly, peasants, labour, youth etc. Under the Philippine Constitution, some 20% of seats in the House of Representatives are reserved. In 1995 and 1997, unsuccessful efforts were made to reform the law so as to include LGBT people. A proponent of this reform was Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople who said (in 1997), "In view of the obvious dislike of the ... administration [of Fidel Ramos] for gay people, it is obvious that the president will not lift a finger to help them gain a sectoral seat."


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The Communist Party of the Philippines integrated LGBT rights into its party platform in 1992, becoming the first Philippine political party to do so. The Akbayan Citizens' Action Party was another early party (although a minor one) to advocate for LGBT rights in 1998.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Philippine political parties are typically very cautious about supporting gay rights, as most fall along the social conservative political spectrum. A major political opponent of LGBT rights legislation has been Congressman Bienvenido Abante (6th district, Manila) of the ruling conservative Lakas–CMD party.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was called "not just gender insensitive, but gender-dead" by Akbayan Party representative Risa Hontiveros. Rep. Hontiveros also said that the absence of any policy protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people betrays the Government's homophobia: "this homophobic government treats LGBTs as second-class citizens."


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: On November 11, 2009, the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) denied the Filipino LGBT political party Ang Ladlad's petition to be allowed to run in the May 2010 elections, on the grounds of "immorality". In the 2007 elections, Ang Ladlad was previously disqualified for failing to prove they had nationwide membership.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: On April 8, 2010, the Supreme Court of the Philippines reversed the ruling of COMELEC and allowed Ang Ladlad, a progressive political party with a primary agenda of combating discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, to join the May 2010 elections. The Ang Ladlad ran in 2010 and 2013 but were disqualified to run in 2016 due to inability to get the minimum number of votes in the past two elections.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: On June 17, 2011, the Philippines abstained from signing the United Nations declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity, which condemns violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, on September 26, 2014, the country gave a landmark yes vote on a follow-up resolution by the UN Human Rights Council to fight violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In May 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte joked that he used to be gay until he met his ex-wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman. The President claimed someone told him the way Antonio Trillanes—a critic of the Duterte administration—walked suggested he was a homosexual, saying "I said: "Are you sure?" They said: "You ask any gay person who sees Trillanes move, they'll say he's gay." No wonder. Good thing Trillanes and I are similar. But I cured myself. When I began a relationship with Zimmerman, I said, this is it. I became a man again." He subsequently added "Duterte is gay. So I am gay, I don't care if I'm gay or not". Duterte has often used terms such as "bakla" or "bayot", slang words for "gay", as insults to his political opponents. During his presidential campaign, Duterte expressed liberal views on homosexuality, saying the Bible should have recognized gay people. But as president, Duterte has been inconsistent on his views on same-sex marriage; in March 2017, claiming that marriage was only for a man and woman, but by the end of the year supporting a change in law to allow same-sex marriage. In January 2019, Duterte attacked the country's Catholic bishops and claimed most of them were gay after the church criticised his war on drugs, saying "Only I can say bishops are sons of bitches, damn you … Most of them are gay. They should come out in the open, cancel celibacy and allow them to have boyfriends".


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The LGBT community did not begin to organize on behalf of its human rights until the 1990s. Poverty and the political situation in the Philippines, especially the dictatorship, may have made it difficult for the LGBT community to organize. One of the first openly gay people of significance was the filmmaker Lino Brocka.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: The first LGBT pride parade in Asia and also the Philippines was co-led by ProGay Philippines and the Metropolitan Community Church Philippines (MCCPH) on June 26, 1994, at the Quezon Memorial Circle. It was organized just a few years after students organized the UP Babaylan group. The pride event was attended by hundreds, and the march coincided with march against the Government's VAT or the value added tax.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Since the 1990s, LGBT people have become more organized and visible, both politically and socially. There are large annual LGBT pride festivals, and several LGBT organizations which focus on the concerns of university students, women and transgender people. There is a vibrant gay scene in the Philippines with several bars, clubs and saunas in Manila as well as various gay rights organizations.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: Sexual orientation or religion does not exempt citizens from, the now defunct, Citizen Army Training (CAT), although people who are openly gay are harassed. On March 3, 2009, the Philippines announced that it was lifting its ban on allowing openly gay and bisexual men and women from enlisting and serving in the Philippine Armed Services.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In 2020, a Pew Research Center poll showed that 73% of adult Filipinos agreed with the statement that "homosexuality should be accepted by society", no change from 2013 and up from 64% in 2002. Support was higher among 18–29-year-olds at 80%, Catholics at 80%, and the more educated at 79%. Another study in 2014, titled "Global Morality", from the same organization, showed that Filipinos disfavor homosexuality when asked "is homosexuality morally acceptable, unacceptable, or is not a moral issue", with 65% responded it is "unacceptable", only 25% responded with "acceptable", and 9% said "it is not a moral issue".


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: In May 2015, PlanetRomeo, an LGBT social network, published its first Gay Happiness Index (GHI). Gay men from over 120 countries were asked about how they feel about society's view on homosexuality, how do they experience the way they are treated by other people and how satisfied are they with their lives. The Philippines was ranked 41st with a GHI score of 50.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: An opinion poll carried out by the Laylo Research Strategies in 2015 found that 70% of Filipinos strongly disagreed with same-sex marriage, 14% somewhat disagreed, 12% somewhat agreed and 4% strongly agreed. In generalization, the 2015 poll indicated that 84% were against same-sex marriage and 16% were in favor.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: According to a 2017 poll carried out by ILGA, 63% of Filipinos agreed that gay, lesbian and bisexual people should enjoy the same rights as straight people, while 20% disagreed. Additionally, 63% agreed that they should be protected from workplace discrimination. 27% of Filipinos, however, said that people who are in same-sex relationships should be charged as criminals, while a plurality of 49% disagreed. As for transgender people, 72% agreed that they should have the same rights, 72% believed they should be protected from employment discrimination and 61% believed they should be allowed to change their legal gender.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted between March 23 and 27, 2018, found that 22% of Filipinos supported same-sex civil unions, 61% were against and 16% were undecided.


title: LGBT rights in the Philippines

text: According to a 2019 SWS poll, 55% of Filipinos supported an anti-discrimination law covering sexual orientation and gender identity, 27% "strongly agreed" and 28% "somewhat agreed". Conversely, 16% "strongly disagreed" and 10% "somewhat disagreed", with the rest being undecided. A separate question concerning transgender people showed that 64% of Filipinos opposed allowing trans women to use women's toilets (48% "strongly" and 16% "somewhat"). Opposition was higher among Mindanao residents, Ilocos Region residents, Muslims and those 55 and above. Nevertheless, a majority stated that they do not perceive transgender identity as a mental disorder or a religious sin.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: The Banana Splits Movie is a 2019 American comedy horror film directed by Danishka Esterhazy from a screenplay written by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas. Serving as a horror reimagining of Hanna-Barbera's 1968 children's television series "The Banana Splits", the film stars Dani Kind, Steve Lund, Celina Martin, Finlay Wotjak-Hissong, Sara Canning, Romeo Carere, and Maria Nash, with Eric Bauza as the voice of the Banana Splits. It follows a family attending a live taping of the aforementioned show and trying to survive when the titular characters go haywire upon learning of their upcoming cancellation, starting a killing spree around the studio.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: The project was first announced in February 2019, following an original idea from Josh Van Houdt, Syfy's vice president of development, about turning a discussed "Banana Splits" film adaptation into a horror film. Esterhazy was hired as director with screenwriters Elinoff and Thomas having conceived the idea based on inspiration from 1986's "Chopping Mall" and 1988's "Child's Play". Prior to its release, the film received a small cult following due to comparisons with the "Five Nights at Freddy's" franchise.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: "The Banana Splits Movie" premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 18, 2019, and was released through video on demand on August 13, 2019 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances and its plot. However, it was heavily panned by fans of the family-friendly original series for its R-rating, gore and violence.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: Harley Williams is a huge fan of "The Banana Splits", a successful children's television series featuring four animatronic characters —Fleegle the Beagle, Bingo the Orangutan, Drooper the Lion, and Snorky the Elephant— along with their human co-star Stevie. As a surprise birthday present, his parents Beth and Mitch take him with his step-brother Austin and his classmate Zoe to a live taping of the show at Taft Studios. Upon arrival, the family meet several audience and staff members, including show hostess Paige and her assistant Doug, fan couple Thadd and Poppy, aspiring young performer Parker with her father Jonathan, and security guard Sal.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: As the taping is getting ready, the studio's new vice president of programming, Andy, informs show's producer Rebecca that he is cancelling the show after the recording as it does not go with his network's vision. The Banana Splits' new software updates malfunction after Drooper overhears this through a drunken Stevie, with Bingo and Snorky kidnapping Andy while Drooper kills Stevie by thrusting a prop lollipop down his throat. Outside, Beth learns that Mitch has been cheating on her with another woman. When she returns to the studio, Mitch finds Sal's decapitated corpse and is then chased and run over by Snorky.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: Meanwhile, Poppy accepts Thadd's marriage proposal while live streaming the backstage before Fleegle arrives and murders Thadd by sawing him in half. Fleegle leaves Poppy after he hears Harley and Zoe looking for Snorky, taking them to the workshop. He traps them with Parker, who Bingo kidnapped while Drooper burned Jonathan's face as they were searching Andy for an audition. The remaining survivors learn about the Banana Splits' carnage after finding a seriously-injured Jonathan. Paige finds all phones disconnected and the confiscated cell phones destroyed while Beth manages to subdue Bingo before she and Austin find Poppy and convince her to join them.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: At the same time, Rebecca and Jonathan are forced to participate in the show's obstacle course until Fleegle stabs Jonathan to death in the back with a key while Rebecca completes the course, only for Drooper to beat her to death with a hammer. Harley, Zoe, and Parker meet the Banana Splits' creator Karl, who considers his animatronics' actions justified by the show's cancellation and conflicts over freeing the kids. Drooper brings Bingo for repair, causing Karl to get distracted enough for the kids to escape and lock him in the cell. While looking for a way out, Harley, Zoe, and Parker come across Snorky and convince him to help them.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: Beth, Austin, Paige, and Poppy arrive at the workshop to ask Karl how to stop the Banana Splits but he does not provide any information. The group hear music coming from a hatch in the floor and go down. However, Poppy notices the mask of an unused fifth animatronic named "Hooty". Losing her sanity, she puts on parts of the costume and kills Karl as revenge for Thadd's death. Finding the underground passage littered with the corpses of Doug, the studio's staff, and the adult audience members, the group find Fleegle and Drooper holding all children hostage while performing gruesome variants of their acts, like burning Stevie's corpse and brutally murdering Andy by ripping his limbs off.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: Snorky arrives and chains Harley, Zoe, and Parker, but secretly gives Harley the keys to free them. While Beth and Austin manage to kill both Fleegle and Drooper, Parker guides all the kids to the exit. Beth, Austin, and Harley meet up with Paige and Zoe before being cornered by Bingo. Suddenly, Snorky appears and attacks Bingo, killing him before dying from critical damage sustained during the fight. As the police and paramedics arrive to attend survivors, Austin and Paige start a relationship while Beth punches a heavily-injured and apologetic Mitch, demanding a divorce. Left behind on the parking lot, Mitch is run over again, this time being killed by a now-insane Poppy with the Banana Splits' remains in the back of the vehicle. While she drives and sings "The" "Banana Splits" theme song, Fleegle reactivates and laughs maniacally.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: The animatronic characters' cast includes in-suit performers Terry Sauls as Fleegle, Buntu Plam as Bingo, Kori Clark as Drooper, and Brandon Vraagom as Snorky. Eric Bauza provides the voices of Fleegle, Bingo and Drooper; Snorky doesn't speak and mostly makes honking noises. Bauza also provides the voice of the show's announcer.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: On February 19, 2019, Warner Bros. Television Group's Blue Ribbon Content division announced that they were collaborating with Blue Ice Pictures on producing a film adaptation of "The Banana Splits" television series, which would take place in a horror-like setting, scheduled to premiere at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 18, 2019, to be released direct to streaming through Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on August 12, 2019, on DVD and Blu-ray on August 27, 2019, and to air on Syfy on October 12, 2019. Danishka Esterhazy, who worked as second unit director for Syfy's "Channel Zero", was hired to direct the film, based on a script written by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, who created "" and wrote for "". The film was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for "horror violence and gore", marking it as the first film adaptation of a Hanna-Barbera or Sid and Marty Krofft property to receive this classification.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: On June 13, 2019, when Syfy Wire released the official trailer for the film, some drew comparisons to the upcoming "Five Nights at Freddy's" film adaptation. Patrick Stumph from Fall Out Boy composed the score for the film, as well as his version of "The Banana Splits" theme song.


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of .


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: Kat Hughes of "The Hollywood News" praised the film and its direction, saying "Danishka Esterhazy proves the breadth of her directional range. "The Banana Splits" is a fun-filled, cacophony of zany deaths and characters, that plays out as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" for grown-ups". William Bibbiani of "Bloody Disgusting" gave a positive review saying that the film "offers a satisfying sequence of slasher slays" but that it "relies so much on cognitive disconnect that never feels like more than an ironic kill count".


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: Reviewer Jim Johnson, of "Comic Book Resources", wrote that "it's a bold move that works, because, here in 2019, there's really nothing better to do with the Banana Splits. And it's not like anyone else had a better idea". Russ Burlingame of "ComicBook.com" praised the performances and script, saying ""The Banana Splits Movie" will be controversial — especially among those who still have a fondness for the original series — but it mostly sticks the landing, buoyed by a great cast, script and crew". Luke Thompson, writing to "Forbes," says that "... until we get an actual "Five Nights at Freddy's" movie, this does deliver in that unique niche of furry animal animatronics gone scary".


title: The Banana Splits Movie

text: Ben Kenigsberg of "The New York Times" gave the film a negative review, writing that it is "far less crazy than it wants to be and far more soporific than a synopsis would suggest". Mike MGranaghan of "Aisle Seat" gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, writing "When it's doing what it's supposed to do, "The Banana Splits Movie" has some definite novelty, value. Unfortunately, that's only about 50% of the time, tops".


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Durrell Artaze Babbs (born January 1, 1976), better known by his stage name Tank, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, producer and actor. He is known for the singles "Maybe I Deserve" (2001), "Please Don't Go" (2007), and "When We" (2017). According to "Billboard", Tank has sold 1.76 million albums in the U.S. as of 2013.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Durrell Babbs was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved with his family as a child to Maryland. He was a multisport athlete in high school and was offered the opportunity to play college football. However, Tank decided to focus on music and his talent eventually led him to an opportunity to sing background vocals for Ginuwine during one of the latter's tours. Tank also became a backing singer for Aaliyah, who he had met through Ginuwine in 1997.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: In 2001, Tank released his debut album "Force of Nature" which spawned the moderate hit Maybe I Deserve". In 2002, Tank released his second album "One Man" and a single of the same name. In 2002, Tank would later be featured on late R&B singer Aaliyah's first posthumous compilation album, "I Care 4 U".


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Tank released his third solo album, "Sex, Love & Pain", in May 2007. The lead single of the album was the minor hit "Please Don't Go", which peaked at number 21 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. Later in the year Tank, Ginuwine and Tyrese Gibson formed a group called TGT. The group was put on hold due to contractual issues, but would go on to sign a contract with Atlantic Records in September 2012.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Tank released his fourth studio album, "Now or Never", in December 2010. Tank collaborated with artists who included Chris Brown, Drake, Letoya Luckett on this project. The singles were "Sex Music", "I Can't Make You Love Me", and "Emergency".


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Tank released his fifth studio album, "This Is How I Feel", in May 2012. Tank collaborated with the artists Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, T.I. and Kris Stephens on the album. The song "Compliments", featuring Kris Stephens and T.I., was released as the lead single in October 2011.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: On September 14, 2013, Tank sang the U.S. national anthem before the Floyd Mayweather vs. Saúl Álvarez fight in Las Vegas, Nevada.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: His sixth studio album "Stronger" was released in August 2014. It featured the singles "You're My Star" and the title track. They did not make the US Hot 100 but both peaked in the Top 20 of the US Urban AC chart. The album marked a slight departure from his previous releases, focusing on a "retro R&B sound" for the album. Following disappointing sales of the release, Tank had claimed the album would be his last.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: In February 2015, a mixtape album, "If You Were Mine", was released. Later that year, Tank premiered a new single, "You Don't Know", featuring Wale. It served as the lead single for his seventh studio album "Sex Love & Pain II", released in January 2016. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart (marking his 5th album to do so) and #15 on the US Top 200 Albums chart. A second single "#BDAY" followed later that year, in addition to a holiday EP "A Classic Christmas Night" in December, released independently.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: In May 2017, Tank performed at Washington DC's Black Gay Pride event, garnering both praise and criticism and setting off a debate concerning the rare instances male R&B artists perform at LGBT events. In September 2017, Tank released his eighth studio album, "Savage". The album's lead single "When We", has peaked at number 86 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. In October 2019, Tank released his ninth studio album "ELEVATION". He then released a piano-laced EP titled "While You Wait" on March 27, 2020.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: On February 26, 2021, Tank released the single "Can't Let It Show" of which the chorus interpolates the 1989 Kate Bush single "This Woman's Work". Kate Bush is credited for the song alongside Tank.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: In August 2021, it was announced that Blackground Records would be rereleasing discographies of artists including Tank, Aaliyah, Toni Braxton and Timbaland & Magoo. Tank's first three studio albums were reissued on CD, cassette, vinyl, digital download and for the first time, streaming, on September 17, 2021.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: On October 29, 2021, Tank released "I Deserve" from his upcoming tenth and final album "R&B Money". The single reached the top 10 on the R&B Radio chart.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Tank was nominated, for the first time, for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, held on November 21, 2021. He lost to The Weeknd.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Tank's songwriting and production credits include working with Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Dave Hollister, Fantasia Barrino, Kelly Rowland, Marques Houston, Omarion, Jamie Foxx, Pitbull, Donell Jones and Monica as a member of the production team the Underdogs and with his own team, Song Dynasty.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: He was a contributor to the score of the film adaptation of the musical "Dreamgirls", in which he had a cameo. He was also featured in the movie "Preacher's Kid". Tank played Donovan in "Born Again Virgin" (2015–2016). He also played recording company executive Jheryl Busby in the BET miniseries "The New Edition Story" (2017), "The Bobby Brown Story" (2018) and "T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle" (2018).


title: Tank (American singer)

text: He got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Zena Foster on January 16, 2017. They've been together on and off since 2000 and share two children, Zion and Zoey. They were married in Los Angeles, California, on July 22, 2018. There were several celebrities in the ceremony, including Kelly Rowland, Jamie Foxx, Larenz Tate, LeToya Luckett, Steelo Brim and many more.


title: Tank (American singer)

text: Tank is also the father of three more children from previous relationships: Jordan, Ryen, and Durrell Jr.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: Nenjam Marappathillai () is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language horror film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. Jointly produced by Escape Artists Motion Pictures and GLO Studios, the film stars S. J. Suryah, Nandita Swetha and Regina Cassandra. Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the film score and soundtrack, with cinematography and editing were handled respectively by Arvind Krishna and Prasanna GK.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: "Nenjam Marappathillai" began production in January 2016 and was completed in June 2016, but remained unreleased for several years, because of various consecutive issues, the first of which was the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax. After a long period of delays, it was released on 5 March 2021 and received mixed to positive reviews from critics with praise for the performances, originality and soundtrack but criticized the climax and predictability. The film was a box office success


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: Mariam is a selfless orphan raised in a Christian orphanage by nuns. She gets an offer to look after a child in an affluent household in a small village and accepts the offer, so that she can contribute her share of money to the orphanage's betterment. She reaches the household and finds a little boy Rishi and his wealthy parents Ramsay and Swetha. Ramsay, formerly Ramasamy, was an orphan who started working in the cotton mill of his current father-in-law. He had risen step by step, often through nefarious means and finally made Swetha, the only heir of the billionaire fall in love with him using drugs. He married Swetha and currently manages the new cotton mill, albeit his father-in-law still having strict control of the business.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: Rishi takes instant liking to Mariam and her tenderness with the boy contrasts with the coldness she receives from Ramsay and his wife. Along with them live four male servants including a security guard and the personal assistant/cook. Though uncomfortable in the beginning, Mariam learns to live there due to her financial commitments to the orphanage. Ramsay is smitten by Mariam's beauty and lusts after her. He tries to misbehave with her on multiple occasions and Mariam's attempts to complain to Swetha about this goes in vain.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: One night, Ramsay cleverly plots a scheme and sends Swetha out of town for a board meeting and sexually assaults Mariam along with the male servants. He asks them to kill Mariam and dispose off her body. Soon, Mariam realises that she has come back to the household as a spirit and starts haunting them. Rishi is able to see her and numerous paranormal activities start happening in the household simultaneously. Out of fear, one of the male servant accidentally blurts out the truth about the murder to Swetha, who is filled with rage at Ramsay, but asks everyone to dispose of the evidences, burn Mariam's buried body and keep the incident a secret. As they proceed to do so, each of the servants is killed one after the other by Mariam.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: Left with no option, Swetha herself exhumes and successfully burns Mariam's body. Mariam's spirit is destroyed and reaches god. God possesses Swetha instead and kills the cook, who was the last of the servants left and proceeds towards Ramsay and both brutally fight. "Swetha" submerges Ramsay and leaves. Seemingly unaffected, Ramsay returns to the house to see "Swetha" and Rishi happily reunited. He runs into "Swetha", only to realise that he is dead and has become a ghost.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: In December 2015, IANS reported that Gautham Vasudev Menon would be collaborating with Selvaraghavan to produce a horror film under his production house Ondraga Entertainment. Composer Santhosh Narayanan was signed on, marking his maiden collaboration with Selvaraghavan. Selvaraghavan's regular collaborator Arvind Krishna joined as the cinematographer, while editor Prasanna GK and art director Vijay Adhinathan were also included. Santhosh was eventually replaced by Yuvan Shankar Raja in April 2016, thus collaborating after a long time with Selvaraghavan.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: In a 2016 interview with the magazine "Ritz", in response to speculation that the film was either a "horror-comedy", a "straight horror film" or a "psycho-comedy", Selvaraghavan refused to confirm or deny what the genre was, but said he sought to invent a new one. However, in a 2021 interview with "The Times of India", he said he had neither seen a horror film nor read a horror novel in his life, but his brother Dhanush was a fan of the genre; so Selvaraghavan decided to make a horror film without having seen any, laying the foundation for the film that would later be titled "Nenjam Marappathillai". Another motive for making the film was to experiment with a genre he had not tried before.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: In December 2015, S. J. Suryah was announced as the lead actor. A month later, Regina Cassandra and Nandita Swetha were announced as the lead actresses. According to Selvaraghavan, all three actors were his first choices for their respective roles. He said he cast Suryah to compensate for a project he cast him in but swiftly dropped. During the auditions, Selvaraghavan spoke to Suryah for five minutes, Regina for five minutes and Nandita for two minutes.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: The film was launched after a simple muhurta ceremony held at Menon's office in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai in January 2016, with the title of the film announced as "Nenjam Marappathillai". It was also reported that the film is based on an original story and not a remake of the 1963 film of the same name. Selvaraghavan said he did not title the film after the 1963 film, but because he believed he would never forget Yuvan. The film was initially planned to be shot within a single schedule, which was to be completed in March 2016, however principal photography wrapped on 30 June 2016.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: Yuvan Shankar Raja decided to reunite with Selvaraghavan for a film titled "Kaan", but as the project was eventually shelved, Selvaraghavan decided to choose Yuvan to score the soundtrack for "Nenjam Marappathillai". The film marks Selvaraghavan's reunion with Yuvan after a hiatus of 8 years since they worked together on their last project "Yaaradi Nee Mohini" (2008). The planned audio launch for the film was cancelled, and the soundtrack album directly released through the stores on 30 November 2016. The album features four songs with lyrics written by Selvaraghavan himself. The song "En Pondati Oorukku Poita" is titled after a line spoken by Janagaraj's character in "Agni Natchathiram" (1988).


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: The soundtrack opened to positive reviews from critics. "Behindwoods" gave 3 out of 5 to the album and stated it as a "good experiment from Yuvan!" "IndiaGlitz" gave 3.25 out of 5 and stated "Yuvan nails it again!" "Sify" gave 3.25 out of 5 to the album stating it as a "Powerhouse Soundtrack from Yuvan-Selva!" Karthik Srinivasan from "Milliblog" noted it as "a wonderfully quirky soundtrack". "Moviecrow" gave 3.25 out of 5 stating "The short and stupendous album matches up to the expectations from the Yuvan-Selva duo."


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: The first look poster was released in July 2016. Behindwoods noted that the poster had many similarities to that of Selvaraghavan's shelved film "Doctors" (not to be confused with "Doctor"), including the lead character's sitting posture and choice of clothes, believing "Nenjam Marappathillai" was "Doctors" revived with a new title.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: "Nenjam Marappathillai" was initially scheduled to release on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, 24 February 2017, but no official confirmation came from the team. It was later scheduled for a release on 30 June 2017, but was postponed indefinitely due to the introduction of Goods and Services Tax by the Central Government. Also Tamil Nadu state government had not clarified on the application of entertainment tax. While co-producer Siddharth Rao blamed Gautham Menon for the delay in the film's release, Menon released a press statement in March 2018 saying that he was in no way involved with the film "but for listening to the idea and pointing out the script and the film to escape artiste Madan. I'm not producer, neither am I a shareholder. Madan wanted my name on the posters and the film but I'm not on it anymore. It was my initiative, that's all it was and that didn't deserve a name on the poster."


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: More than a year later, in December 2019, Yuvan Shankar Raja said the film would be releasing soon and unveiled a new poster, although no release date was announced. In December 2020, the makers prompted for a digital release, with the makers held discussions with leading OTT platforms to distribute the film, the following month. On 8 February 2021, it was announced by the makers that the film will release in theatres on 5 March 2021, with Rockfort Entertainment distributing the film. On 2 March, the Madras High Court issued an injunction prohibiting the film's release until 15 March 2021, saying Escape Artists owed Radiance Media Group a sum of . Two days later, Suryah announced that the legal issue had been resolved, and the film released as scheduled. It began streaming on ZEE5 from 14 May 2021 onwards.


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: The film received mixed to positive reviews; while the climax and predictability were criticised, the performances, soundtrack and originality received praise. Baradwaj Rangan wrote, ""Nenjam Marappathillai" is far from perfect, but scene for scene, it's a thrilling portal into the mind of Selvaraghavan." He concluded, ""Nenjam Marappathillai"—propelled by a grand Yuvan Shankar Raja score that matches the director's intensity and eccentricity—is the best thing Selvaraghavan has made in ages. Maybe breathing fresh life into stale genre premises is really his thing." Haricharan Pudipeddi of "Hindustan Times" wrote, "What's refreshing about "Nenjam Marappathillai" is that it is devoid of all the usual stereotypes one could associate with horror movies. We don't get the usual creaking doors and close up of the ghost on a character's face. We still get some predictable moments but the way Selva treats them make for an engaging watch."


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: "Sify" praised the performances of the lead cast, but criticised the film's second half and visual effects near the climax. M. Suganth of "The Times of India" rated the film 3 out of 5 and called it "a minor return to form for Selvaraghavan, who smartly uses his loud filmmaking style to give us a film that is over the top in a good way." Manoj Kumar R of "The Indian Express" also rated it 3 stars out of 5, saying, ""Nenjam Marappathillai" is what a director might find when he goes to the shooting with a vow to not follow the script. Instead, he rolls up his sleeves, and goes to work with his crew, determined to create something more wonderful, and tangible than what his mind imagined in the writer's room."


title: Nenjam Marappathillai (2021 film)

text: While promoting the film in an interview with Baradwaj Rangan, Selvaraghavan was asked whether the character of Ramasamy was based on Periyar, whose real name was E. V. Ramasamy. After a long pause, he replied "Yes". This caused controversy among followers of Periyar as they felt Selvaraghavan was defaming their idol. Selvaraghavan later apologised, saying he acted without properly comprehending the question asked.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The True Blood Novels and The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, "Dead Until Dark" (2001), won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2001 and later served as the source material for the HBO drama series "True Blood" (2008–2014). The book series has been retronymed the True Blood Series upon reprinting, to capitalize on the television adaptation.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: In "The Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood" Series, Harris develops a detailed mythology and alternate history that approaches supernatural beings as real; at the beginning of the series, vampires' existence had only been public knowledge for a few years, while other supernatural beings, such as werewolves, shapeshifters, fairies, etc., existed, but were not widely known until later in the series. The setting is contemporary, and the stories occasionally reference popular culture.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: The series is narrated in first person perspective by Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress and a telepath in the fictional town of Bon Temps in northwestern Louisiana. Harris was originally contracted to write 10 books, but she revealed at Comic Con 2009 that she has signed a contract for three additional books. On May 14, 2012, Harris' Facebook administrator confirmed that the 13th book, "Dead Ever After", would be the final book of the series.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Two years prior to the first novel's timeline (in 2002 according to the Sookieverse timeline), vampires around the world revealed themselves, via television, to the world as actual, and not mythical, beings after the development of a synthetic blood product (the most popular marketed brand of which is called "TrueBlood") that provided adequate sustenance for vampires and therefore did not require them to feed on human blood.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Worldwide, reaction to the vampires' "Great Revelation" is mixed. The policy in Muslim countries is death and torture for vampires, while most African nations, Argentina, and Bosnia refuse to acknowledge vampires' existence. Some nations, such as France, Germany, and Italy, acknowledge vampires and do not torture them, but do not give them equal rights as citizens. Canada, Japan, Mexico, Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States are more tolerant; however, even in the US, vampires are not permitted certain rights like the right to marry.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Rather than acknowledging the legend that vampires are deceased humans who have risen from the dead to prey on the living, the vampires insist they are simply the victims of a medical condition that makes them allergic to sunlight and affects their dietary needs.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Vampires are pale and cold, possess unfathomable strength and speed, and have keen senses of hearing, smell, and vision. This makes it easy for them to protect themselves. They also have the ability to remain completely still, expressionless, and silent. Vampires can control the minds of humans ("glamor", often seen as a form of hypnosis) by staring into a human's eyes and speaking in a soothing, trance-inducing voice. Vampires can induce complete or partial amnesia in a glamored human, and can compel them to do anything the vampire desires. A few vampires can even fly; others may have other powers and abilities.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Vampires' fangs come out when they are hungry, see blood, are sexually aroused, or need to fight. All vampires are compelled to obey their individual maker. Harris' vampires do not age. They can survive and recover from most forms of physical injury, but they will die if stabbed by a stake, exposed to sunlight, burned by fire, completely drained of their blood (if not treated promptly), or decapitated. Silver is highly toxic to them. Unlike the vampire mythology of other universes, Harris' universe states that crucifixes have no effect on vampires, garlic only produces allergic reactions, vampires can be photographed, and most (except the "very old ones") are able to enter places of worship or step on "holy ground". They cannot enter a home unless invited, and if an invitation is withdrawn, they are physically unable to remain on the premises. Since vampires can persuade humans to invite them to enter their homes, humans must avoid eye contact and order the vampire off the premises when an unfriendly one tries to gain entry.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Fangbangers, the human cult followers fascinated by vampires, include volunteers willing to be bitten to provide fresh blood nourishment to vampires. If a vampire and a human share blood (each drinking from the other), it will form a blood bond, linking the pair's psyches. Vampire blood without exchange is sought after by humans as a drug that can enhance strength, heal wounds, and increase attractiveness, among other desirable effects. Due to the shortage of willing vampire donors, human "drainers" attack vampires and drain their entire blood supply, either staking the vamps or leaving victims to die in the sun. The blood is then sold as a drug, in vials on the underground market. It can be highly addictive, but may cause psychotic or murderous rampages by human users upon first use; it is highly unpredictable who will be affected in this manner. In "One Word Answer", a vampire's blood given to a dead body, in combination with magic words, raises the ghost of the body's former inhabitant.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Though many vampires in this universe try to live among humans, they remain very secretive about their organization and government. The vampires divided the continental United States into four divisions (clans), each represented by a symbol: the Whale, the Feather, the Thunder Bolt, and the Eye. A division consists of multiple kingdoms, each controlled by a single lead vampire known as the King or Queen. Each kingdom is subdivided into areas (formerly known as fiefdoms), each controlled by a sheriff who owes allegiance to the monarch.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Weres and shapeshifters can assume either human or animal forms, and are collectively referred to as the "two-natured". A variety of different types of weres and shapeshifters exist in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, including werefoxes, werepanthers, weretigers, werewolves, etc. Being bitten by a were can transform a person unwillingly at full moons into a man/beast form closer to that of classic legend, but a person must be bitten several times to accumulate growth. Shapeshifting conditions manifest in puberty.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: As Sam tells Sookie, shapeshifters can assume the form of any animal, but most often change to the same animal every time, usually a creature they have a special affinity for, and they call themselves by that animal, e.g., werebat or weredog.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: In contrast, weres are only able to shift into one animal (werebats, werelynxes, werepanthers, weretigers, or werewolves). Within the two-natured community, the capitalized term "Were" is reserved only for those who can change into wolves. The Weres consider themselves superior to all others, but they all cooperate with each other. Most of the two-natured beings organize themselves into packs; each pack is led by a packmaster.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Although vampires announced their existence to the world, the two-natured beings maintained their secrecy to observe the vampires' results. In this series mythology, the shifters decide to publicize their existence in the ninth book, "Dead and Gone" (2009).


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Demand for vampire blood has been growing on the black market, as the blood is very powerful and addictive. The strength of the blood depends on the age of the blood (the time since it has been removed from its owner), the age of the vampire from whom the blood has been removed, and the individual chemistry of the drug user.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: In this universe, the effects of vampire blood in humans are feelings of power, increased strength, acute vision and hearing, increased sexual desire, and enhanced physical appearance. The results are notoriously unpredictable and vary per person, lasting from weeks to months. Some people go mad—even homicidal—when the blood hits their systems. Vampires hate drainers and the users of the drained blood. A vial of blood can cost from $200 to $400, depending on the age of the vampire and the preference of the seller.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: In The Southern Vampire Mysteries universe, fairies "...are your basic supernatural being. From us come elves and brownies and angels and demons. Water sprites, green men, all the natural spirits... all some form of fairy." —Claudine


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Fairies are portrayed in the series as beautiful, with pointed ears and glossy, thin skin. Physically, fairies are superhumanly strong and durable. They are tough, ferocious, and incredibly long-lived, but not immortal. The Shreveport werewolf packmaster says, "They love to flirt with disaster, they love to role-play." In this universe, fairies are extremely attractive to humans as well as to vampires. Vampires have a hard time resisting fairies because of their smell and taste; fairy blood is intoxicating to vampires. A fairy, Claudine, is first introduced in "Dead to the World". Watching vampires react to her, Sookie thinks that “it was like watching cats that'd suddenly spotted something skittering along the baseboards.” This makes face-to-face interactions between them all but impossible. However some individuals, such as Sookie's great-grandfather Niall Brigant, are able to "suppress their essence", effectively masking their scent and making such contact safer.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: In the Southern Vampire Series, fairies can be killed with either lemons, limes, or iron. When a fairy dies, a corpse is not left, just a sparkling powder (or fairy dust); the body just fades away, and the fairy's spirit goes to the next oldest family member to tell them of their death. The fae call their afterlife "The Summerlands".


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Fairies are secretive about their own race, customs, interactions, and world. They normally inhabit the fae world, named Faery, but there are portals and doorways between it and the human world. Sookie's great-grandfather Niall is a fairy prince, and Claudine and Claude are Niall's grandchildren. In later books, Claudine admits that she is Sookie's fairy godmother. She was assigned this role in an effort to move on to the next level, which is angelhood.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Sookie's great-grandfather is over 1000 years old, and her half-human great uncle is centuries old. Those who have fairy blood in them but are not full-blooded fairies are immune to the effects of iron, lemons, and limes, while maintaining some of the attractive qualities of fairies. Niall states that Sookie and Jason have both inherited the beauty of the fairies, but only certain creatures can tell they are part-fairy. As a genetic quirk (possibly due to fairy blood), Jason greatly resembles his great uncle to the point where others are unable to differentiate between the two of them. Sookie appears to have inherited more magical fairy powers (such as immunity against mind spells from vampires and maenads), while Jason only has the power of attraction and seduction. However, most assume this is mainly due to his physical appearance. It is also stated in one of the books, by Mr. Cataliades, that Sookie's telepathy is not a trait she obtained from her fairy blood. Sookie's telepathy is demonic in origin, specifically, Mr. Cataliades granted it to anyone of Sookie's grandmother's bloodline born with an "essential spark" or openness to the supernatural world. mixed his blood with In the short story "Fairy Dust", Sookie says Fairies love attention and admiration, a fact she learned from Sam. In this story, it is also implied that Fairies have the ability to cast spells, as Claudine was muttering something under her breath to hypnotise or calm down the people she and her brother, Claude, were interrogating. Claudine also magically appeared to aid Sookie when she was in mortal danger on a number of occasions, however, she hinted that there were limits to how and when she could perform that trick. Sookie was not always aware of her fairy godmother's timely interventions.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: It is also known that fairies can conjure objects, demonstrated by Claudine in "Fairy Dust", when she summoned a contract, and in "Dead to the World", when she changed her outfit magically. A fairy, Preston, also displays the abilities to shapeshift and to seduce even Sookie, who is usually telepathically resistant to such abilities.


title: The Southern Vampire Mysteries

text: Telepaths are humans who can read the minds of other humans and feel the emotions of different creatures that are portrayed in a creature's "brain signature". Vampires have a "hole" as their signature, so telepaths cannot read their mind. (However, Sookie occasionally picks up a few flashes of thought from vampires.) Were and shifter signatures portray emotions or colors. Demons' signatures are compared to a buzzing sound or like the "static in a radio station". Maenads' signatures are represented as an endless mystic chant. Fairies (and a few powerful witches) can block their minds from telepaths. Sookie refers to their minds as being "shielded".