And we're baks.
The landmark anthology’s first rampa in 2019 was received with critical acclaim, sold out copies, and fabulous media outings.
Launched in the vibrant cities of Naga, Quezon City, and Marikina:
we’ve dressed up, performed poetry, enjoyed performances, and found new homo homes for our anthology.
There's newer, more voices now, and one anthology from five years ago just won't be enough.
So here’s an invitation: submit your beautiful poetry, essays, short stories, or one act plays about your Bikolnon gayness, transness, and queerness.
about
BKL/Bikol Bakla is an anthology of Bikolnon Gay Trans Queer Writing published in 2019. Co-edited by Ryen Paul Sumayao and Dr. Jaya Jacobo, it is the first anthology of its kind that published Trans Gay Queer voices from the region.
This second edition is co-edited by Dr. Kvn Dayan and Jose Lino Borbe. It is helmed by the DEI-focused creatives agency, STUDIO HIBANG.
The first edition is currently out of print and digital copies are available for download in exchange of a small donation to an identified LGBTQIA+ organization.
Read more: SCOUT Magazine
Read more: Bicol Mail
Watch: Tiktok
And we're baks.
The landmark anthology’s first rampa in 2019 was received with critical acclaim, sold out copies, and fabulous media outings.
Launched in the vibrant cities of Naga, Quezon City and Marikina,
we’ve dressed up, performed poetry, enjoyed some performances and found new homo homes for our anthology.
There's newer, more voices now, and one anthology from five years ago just won't be enough.
So here’s an invitation: submit your beautiful poetry, essays, short stories, or one act plays about your Bikolnon gayness, transness, and queerness.
about
BKL/Bikol Bakla is an anthology of Bikolnon Gay Trans Queer Writing published in 2019. Co-edited by Ryen Paul Sumayao and Dr. Jaya Jacobo, it is the first anthology of its kind that published Trans Gay Queer voices from the region.
This second edition is co-edited by Dr. Kvn Dayan and Jose Lino Borbe. It is helmed by the DEI-focused creatives agency, STUDIO HIBANG.
The first edition is currently out of print however digital copies are available for download in exchange of a small donation to an identified LGBTQIA+ organization.
Read more: SCOUT Magazine
Read more: Bicol Mail
themes in the anthology
Manuscripts that tackle the following themes are welcome (tap arrows to read):
"
An invaluable and welcome book is BKL/Bikol Bakla, which proves beyond doubt that the efflorescence of Philippine LGBTQ+ culture is happening not just in the center, but also in the regions.
–J. Neil Garcia, on BKL/Bikol Bakla 1
submission guidelines
Read through eligibility, submission process, genres, and more.
meet the team
Dr. Kvn Dayan
CO-EDITOR
K E. Dayan, Phd (she/her) is an associate professor of the Literature and Language Studies Department of the Ateneo de Naga University. She is the former chairperson and now an inaugural member of the Creative Endeavors Council of the same University and the former cluster head for creative writing of Bikol Association of Literature and Language Teachers (BALLT). She is also former research and education officer of the Society of Transgender Women of the Philippines (STRAP). She has published her single work of poetry in Alon: Journal for Filipinx American and Diasporic Studies. Get to know her more here.
Jose Lino Borbe
CO-EDITOR
Jose Lino Borbe (he/him) was a former counselor for LoveYourself PH, a community of volunteers that provides free HIV testing, counseling, treatment, and life coaching in the Philippines. He is currently the managing partner of the Laong Laan branch of Barbierro Barbershop, the Philippines’ first queer barbershop. Check out his Instagram here.
HELMED BY
Studio Hibang
Studio Hibang is a Diversity-, Equality, and Inclusion(DEI)-focused creatives and branding agency. It is listed in the global directory of queer-owned business Everywhere Is Queer and is a member of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Asia’s pioneering organization that champions the LGBTQIA+ conntribution in Philippine business. Get to know them more here.
launches on May 15, 2025
See you at the following locations!
CITY OF MANILA | QUEZON CITY | LEGAZPI CITY | NAGA CITY | PILI, CAM. SUR | BIÑAN, LAGUNA
For press inquiries, email bikolbaks@gmail.com / studiohibang@gmail.com
themes of the anthology
Texts and manuscripts that tackle the following themes are welcomed:
■ Maderhood/ Motherhood – how do we define/experience Motherhood along the lines of our devotion to Ina?
■ Mhie-thologies (Queerness in Bikolnon Mythologies) – What underlying nuances and tones in Bikol mythology celebrate queerness?
■ Experiences of Bikolnon People Living with HIV (PLHIV)
■ Queer Bodies – the physical forms and lived experiences of Bikolnon Trans, Gay and Queer people, challenging traditional notions of what bodies “should” look like or behave
■ Performative Beauty – Stories of pageants, drag and ball culture, and other formats where beauty is performed
■ Ageing as Queer People – narratives of queer people grappling with the beauty and madness of ageing in a time of youth-powered zeitgeist
■ The Families We Choose, The Families We Didn’t – our lived experiences with the families we are born into, and those we chose.
Meet the team
Dr. Kvn Dayan
CO-EDITOR
K E. Dayan, Phd (she/her) is an associate professor of the Literature and Language Studies Department of the Ateneo de Naga University. She is the former chairperson and now an inaugural member of the Creative Endeavors Council of the same University and the former cluster head for creative writing of Bikol Association of Literature and Language Teachers (BALLT). She is also former research and education officer of the Society of Transgender Women of the Philippines (STRAP). She has published her single work of poetry in Alon: Journal for Filipinx American and Diasporic Studies. Get to know her more here.
Jose Lino Borbe
CO-EDITOR
Jose Lino Borbe (he/him) was a former counsellor for LoveYourself PH, a community of volunteers that provides free HIV testing, counseling, treatment, and life coaching in the Philippines. He is currently the managing partner of the Laong Laan branch of Barbierro Barbershop, the Philippines’ first queer barbershop. Check out his Instagram here.
HELMED BY
Studio Hibang
Studio Hibang is a Diversity-, Equality, and Inclusion(DEI)-focused creatives and branding agency. It is listed in the global directory of queer-owned business Everywhere Is Queer and is a member of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Asia’s pioneering organization that champions the LGBTQIA+ conntribution in Philippine business. Get to know them more here.
- Open to all writers who identify as Bikolnon and who belong to the trans, queer, and gay community
- The call is also open to lesbians, bisexuals, intersex, and allies writing about the Bikolnon Bakla experience (e.g. the author as the Mother of a gay son, or the cishet best friend of a trans woman)
- Submissions must be original, unpublished work.
GENRES
- Poetry: Up to 5 poems, each not exceeding 50 lines.
- Fiction: Short stories or flash fiction pieces, up to 5,000 words.
- Creative Nonfiction: Essays, memoirs, or personal narratives, up to 5,000 words.
- Plays/Screenplays: One-act plays or scenes, up to 3,000 words.
- Comics/Graphic Stories: Short comics or graphic narratives, up to 10 pages.
- Hybrid/Experimental Works: Pieces that blend genres or experiment with form, up to 5,000 words.
- Submissions can be in Bikol, Filipino, English, or any combination of these languages.
- Works that incorporate Bikol languages or explore regional linguistic diversity are highly encouraged.
- We encourage submissions that explore the themes of identity, belonging, resistance, love, and the complexities of queer life in the Bikol region.
- Works that address intersectionality, community, cultural heritage, and the intersections of queerness with other aspects of identity (e.g., class, race, religion) are particularly welcome.
- Email your submission to bikolbaks@gmail.com with the subject line: “BKL/Bikol Bakla 2 Submission – [Your Name].”
- In the body of the email, include a brief note introducing yourself and your work.
- You may submit in more than one genre, but each genre submission should be in a separate document and email.
- All submissions must be received by Dec 31 2024. Late submissions will not be considered.
PUBLICATION & RIGHTS
- Selected contributors will be notified by February 1, 2025.
- Upon acceptance, authors agree to grant first publication rights to BKL/Bikol Bakla 2. After publication, rights revert to the author.
- Contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology upon publication.