Where the Golden Gays live

The unique challenges they face

Shifts in attitudes towards the LGBTQ+

Concerns with drag queens' heightened profile

Many are ostracised by families and live in slums, but a younger generation is coming to their aid.

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. 

In this 25th episode, ST’s new foreign editor Li Xueying takes over the hosting duties from our previous show presenter Bhagyashree Garekar, who will be the incoming US bureau chief for ST in Washington.

Xueying chats with ST’s Philippines correspondent Mara Cepeda about the country’s ‘Golden Gays’.

They are a community of elderly people of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexualities (LGBTQ+) in their 60s to 80s, who have been living together and doing pageant shows to help make ends meet. They also belong to the non-profit organisation, The Home for the Golden Gays, established in 2002 by the late Aids activist and politician Justo Justo to provide permanent shelter for ageing LGBTQ+ members.

But when Mr Justo died in 2012, his family evicted the Golden Gays, who affectionately call themselves ‘lolas’ or grandmothers. Nine of them ended up living in a cramped, two-bedroom apartment in the slums of Pasay City, also near Manila, while the rest rented rooms with the same squalid living conditions.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:55 What it was like to visit the Golden Gays’ rented house in the slums of Pasay City, Philippines

4:55 The unique challenges that they face (as opposed to other needy elderly Filipinos?); social safety net for such demographics

7:45 Shifts in attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community; how pop culture is driving the change

12:13 Concerns that this new heightened profile of the drag queens could lead to a backlash from more conservative elements in society?

Read more here: https://str.sg/icBd

Produced by: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR

Follow Li Xueying on X: https://str.sg/ip4x

Read Mara Cepeda's articles: https://str.sg/icBm

Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

Many are ostracised by families and live in slums, but a younger generation is coming to their aid.
Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. 
In this 25th episode, ST’s new foreign editor Li Xueying takes over the hosting duties from our previous show presenter Bhagyashree Garekar, who will be the incoming US bureau chief for ST in Washington.
Xueying chats with ST’s Philippines correspondent Mara Cepeda about the country’s ‘Golden Gays’.
They are a community of elderly people of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexualities (LGBTQ+) in their 60s to 80s, who have been living together and doing pageant shows to help make ends meet. They also belong to the non-profit organisation, The Home for the Golden Gays, established in 2002 by the late Aids activist and politician Justo Justo to provide permanent shelter for ageing LGBTQ+ members.
But when Mr Justo died in 2012, his family evicted the Golden Gays, who affectionately call themselves ‘lolas’ or grandmothers. Nine of them ended up living in a cramped, two-bedroom apartment in the slums of Pasay City, also near Manila, while the rest rented rooms with the same squalid living conditions.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:55 What it was like to visit the Golden Gays’ rented house in the slums of Pasay City, Philippines
4:55 The unique challenges that they face (as opposed to other needy elderly Filipinos?); social safety net for such demographics
7:45 Shifts in attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community; how pop culture is driving the change
12:13 Concerns that this new heightened profile of the drag queens could lead to a backlash from more conservative elements in society?
Read more here: <a href="https://str.sg/icBd" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/icBd" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/icBd</a>
Produced by: Li Xueying (<a href="mailto:xueying@sph.com.sg">xueying@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:
Channel:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7"> https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa8"> https://str.sg/JWa8</a>
Spotify:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaX"> https://str.sg/JWaX</a>
SPH Awedio app:<a href="https://www.awedio.sg/"> https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Read Li Xueying’s articles: <a href="https://str.sg/iqmR">https://str.sg/iqmR</a> 
Follow Li Xueying on X: <a href="https://str.sg/ip4x">https://str.sg/ip4x</a>
Read Mara Cepeda's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/icBm">https://str.sg/icBm</a>
Read ST's Letters From The Bureau:<a href="https://str.sg/3xRd"> https://str.sg/3xRd</a>
Register for Asian Insider newsletter:<a href="https://str.sg/stnewsletters"> https://str.sg/stnewsletters</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a>
In Your Opinion:<a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt"> https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Asian Insider:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7"> https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Health Check:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaN"> https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Green Pulse:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaf"> https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Your Money &amp; Career:<a href="https://str.sg/wB2m"> https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
ST Sports Talk:<a href="https://str.sg/JWRE"> https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
#PopVultures:<a href="https://str.sg/JWad"> https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Music Lab:<a href="https://str.sg/w9TX"> https://str.sg/w9TX</a>
Discover ST Podcasts:<a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts"> http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i4Y3">https://str.sg/i4Y3</a> 
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2"> https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Invisible Asia (9 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZn"> https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Stop Scams (10 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZB"> https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuJa"> https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#STAsianInsider

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Asian Insider

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust

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