Reflections in the Mirror: Queer Representation, Compulsory Heterosexuality, and Media-Based Coping among LGBT Filipino Youth

In contexts shaped by religious conservatism and compulsory heterosexuality (comphet), queer Filipino youth often experience isolation, confusion, and erasure. Drawing on interpretative phenomenological analysis of five in-depth interviews, this article examines how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the Philippines negotiate identity and cope with discrimination through queer media engagement. We argue that queer media representations serve as affective mirrors—sites of validation, emotional self-regulation, and parasocial connection—while also reflecting tensions between visibility and stereotype. Participants describe how accessible queer media, from Thai BL dramas to LGBTQ+ TikToks, shaped their sense of self, offered imagined community, and created space for subtle but strategic resistance against heteronormative pressures. However, parasocial relationships were not embraced uncritically; they were navigated with both emotional investment and healthy boundaries. By reframing cultural proximity theory as identity-affective proximity rather than ethnic-linguistic affinity, we advance a more nuanced understanding of how marginalized youth find meaning in media that “sees” them. This study contributes to global queer media studies by foregrounding affective survival, media-based coping, and the ambivalence of representation in Global South contexts of constrained queer visibility.