Abstract:

This chapter explores various mechanisms of expressing and euphemizing linguistic constructs related to sex, sexuality, and gender in the Filipino/Tagalog translations of the Bible. Centuries of colonization in the Philippines have resulted in the sacralization of the Christian text, penetrating different aspects of life in the country—from drafting the Constitution to conducting everyday activities, observing important events, and prescribing various sets of norms. For this study, focus shall be given to how translations of certain passages in the Bible shape and at the same time reflect perspectives on gender, sex, and sexual behaviors. Data were gathered from passages found in the Filipino/Tagalog translation of the Bible, written and published in different versions. Although published at different times, these versions of the Filipino/Tagalog translation of the Bible will be examined synchronically, considering their wide use and circulation throughout the Philippines at present. Translation and interpretation choices shall then inform how Filipino/Tagalog translators of the Bible describe and document Christian sensibilities, values, and biases regarding sex, sexuality, and gender. A close examination reveals that while there are Christian knowledge systems and practices that have been imposed upon the subscribers of the faith, there are communities in the Philippines that negotiate expressions of their sexuality and performance of their gender roles by adhering to the (sexual) scripts in the Bible and simultaneously subscribing to local (sexual) practices observed in their communities.