ABSTRACT
The Philippines has a rich history of creative and artistic responses to oppressive regimes. From political satires to enigmatic anthems, Filipino artists have utilised various forms of art and media to interrogate and critique governments that constrict Filipino civil liberties. In the last five years, despite advances in gender and development policies, President Rodrigo Duterte and other public officials have expressed misogynistic and homophobic attitudes that have coloured public and political opinion against the advancement of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Bill. In this chapter, we examine the artistic responses of two comic artists, Dead Balagtas and Dee Ayroso, and their efforts to disrupt these pervading sexist and homophobic discourses through their works and create safe spaces both online and offline. Using methods in comic studies alongside ethnographic approaches that examine digital and offline relationships and interactions between the artists and their audience, the chapter explores the power of affect in activism and the importance of multimodal social engagements in activism.
