LGBT in The Philippines - Bakla

A bakla is a gay man who displays feminine mannerisms, dresses as a women, or identifies as a woman. The term itself is not the equivalent of the English term "gay", but bakla are the most culturally visible subset of gay men in the Philippines. They are often considered a third gender, embodying femaleness (pagkababae) in a male body. The term bakla is sometimes used in a derogatory sense, although bakla people have largely embraced it.

Bakla individuals are socially and economically integrated into Filipino society and are considered an important part of society. The stereotype of a bakla is a parlorista, a cross-dresser who works in a beauty salon. Miss Gay Philippines is a beauty pageant for bakla.