The Governmentalization of the Professional Gay Self

The idea of professionalism is dominated by men but there is a dearth of sociological studies about professionalism and sexuality and gender. Studies that examine how gay men see their professional selves is lacking, especially in the Philippine context. Unraveling how gay men see their professional selves is critical to contribute to the understanding of discourses on subject formation, from the subject themselves, in a particular social institution. This study drew data from in-depth interviews with 30 self-identified gay men from selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines. The narratives were examined under the lenses of Foucault's idea of governmentality. The study reveals that the concept of a "professional gay self" undergoes a governmentalization process. This process of subjectification involves influences from significant others namely the greater society, the family, and even from other Filipino gays-all laden with heteronormative discourses that allow the conduct of conduct to be possible.