Portrayal of Love and Social Issues of LGBTQIA+ in Pinoy Boys’ Love (BL) Series

Abstract

Drama as a performing art has changed dramatically over the years in terms of production quality, story, and platform it is performed. Recently, it has diversified from tackling societal issues such as same-sex relationships. The study analyzed how to love and social issues are portrayed in selected Pinoy Boys' Love (BL) series by conducting a content analysis. The findings revealed Pinoy BL series had proven its capacity to depict love in nonromantic situations inclusively and concluded that expressing love entails more than an emotion. It also comprises expressing it through language, in which words can make individuals feel loved because of the encouragement and affirmation they get. It has also been seen that love also comprises movements in which people who cannot openly express their love for another person through words may still do so by doing kind and pleasant gestures and deeds for them. Love may also develop through time; it has been demonstrated in the BL series that spending time together can help individuals reconnect with their lovers, friends, and families and rekindle desire in people who have lost the spark in their relationship. The potential of the BL series to show the hardships that LGBT people had historically and continue to face in society was also noted, including personal-social and political-social concerns that affect them, proving that the BL series is intended to depict LGBTQIA+ themes seriously and realistically.