The scent of brewing coffee filled the air, a familiar comfort in Kent Mark's childhood home in Linabo, Malaybalay City. At 26, now a college instructor in CDO, the memory was vivid. He stirred his own cup, a small act of connection to his Bukidnon roots.
Growing up, Kent Mark never felt pressured to conform to traditional gender roles. His family, though living in a rural area, wasn't strict. He helped his mother change curtains, polished her nails, played with whatever toys he fancied. Chopping wood or fixing broken appliances? He wasn't obligated, but he could help if he wanted. This freedom to explore beyond rigid expectations was a quiet blessing. It allowed him to understand himself, even if he didn't yet have the words.
He knew, deep down, his gender identity. He was gay. But expressing it openly was another story. He hadn't come out to his parents. He suspected they knew, a silent understanding passing between them. Perhaps it was the way he was, the things he enjoyed. It wasn't a secret, exactly, just unsaid.
His community’s attitude towards LGBTQ+ individuals was a mixed bag. Some were understanding, others resistant. He’d witnessed the whispers, the sideways glances. It made him cautious. He longed for the day he could be completely open, but the fear of judgment, the potential for hurt, held him back.
CDO offered a different landscape. He could be himself more freely here, away from the familiar eyes of home. Yet, a part of him yearned for that acceptance from his family, from his community. He knew, in his heart, they loved him. It wasn't a question of their love, but of his own readiness.
One day, he knew, he would go home. He would share his truth, not with fanfare, but simply as part of who he was. He would bring poems, stories woven from his heart. He would be Kent Mark, the college instructor, the baker, the artist, the son, the brother, the gay son, the gay brother. And maybe, just maybe, that quiet understanding would finally become a shared voice, a celebration of his true self. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he also knew it was time.
