Be more conscious on gender when writing —Thomasian scholar

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Thomasian poet J. Neil Garcia tackles gender consciousness in writing at the UST Central Laboratory Auditorium on Jan. 31. (Photo by Hazel Grace S. Posadas/The Varsitarian)

A THOMASIAN poet and critic has called on writers to be more conscious on gender in their works during a literary forum at the UST Central Laboratory Auditorium last Jan. 31.

“It behooves writers to think of gender as a crucial element in their works because everything that they write, and everything they can ever write is already gendered, anyway,” said journalism alumnus J. Neil Garcia in “ALPAS: Breaking Free from Norms and Celebrating Gender Inclusivity.”

Garcia, director of University of the Philippines Press, said writers have the moral responsibility to ensure that their works do not contribute to the further subjugation of one gender by another.

“It is therefore ethically necessary for writers to be conscious of gender in their writings because in themselves, writings can’t help but resonate the gender position of their authors, a position consequently passed on to their readers who will read and be influenced by this text,” he said.

Garcia is the author of “Philippine Gay Culture, the Last Thirty Years: Binabae to Bakla, Silahis to MSM,” which won the National Book Award for Literary Criticism.

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