Ally Gonzalo: bakla

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Ally Gonzalo, "bakla," 2020

Dear members and subscribers,

At the moment ace is following suit with recommendations to close to the public in order to aid in “flattening the curve” of the pandemic that we are in. We will be closed until further notice; we’re monitoring and listening and responding to the evolving climate and will keep you posted as our plan adapts.

We are using this time to brainstorm for an exciting upcoming event, and to prepare for our MOVE! That's right, we’re moving! 

Our new space is located at 208 Princess St, and we will be relocating in the fall. Our gallery will now be more accessible and we are so excited to finally be able to invite in folks who have never been able to enter our doors. Thank you to CentreVenture, Canadian Heritage through their Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the Winnipeg Foundation through their Major Capital Fund and Build 150, and the City of Winnipeg for making this incredible opportunity a reality! As well as to all of our funders who allow us to operate; the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council, and the Winnipeg Arts Council. 

These are difficult times, and we’re very much looking forward to the bright and more inclusive future that this space will bring. 

Stay home (and make art!) if you can, stay safe and we’ll keep you updated; as we are far from dormant at this time!

Our best to you and yours,

Helga Jakobson, Program Director

Bakla (Tagalog) -- a Filipino person assigned male at birth but having adopted mannerisms traditionally regarded as feminine. The term includes individuals who identify as trans, non-binary, bisexual, etc.

Bakla predates the word "gay" with the latter only emerging around the 19th century. Similar to indigenous Two-Spirit folk, bakla are considered to be capable of seeing the world through both female and male eyes prior to colonization. They were shamanistic leaders who practiced divination and entered into trances as part of their ritualistic practices. The bakla were labeled as pagans and murdered by Spanish colonizers, creating a power vacuum that was used to install Catholicism.

With Winnipeg having the largest concentration of Filipinos in Canada, it has unfortunately become a microcosm of what Filipino society is back home, meaning that the discrimination towards the bakla, and the Filipinx community in general, has also carried over. Despite this, our communities remain resilient, strong, and colorful. This portrait series is meant to celebrate the diverse identities of the bakla as an act of decolonization from our past and to challenge non-baklas' prevailing perceptions of who we are.

Ally Gonzalo is a gay Filipino photographer who immigrated to Winnipeg in 2016. For the past two years he has become self-taught in the medium, during which time he has built a foundation in landscape and street photography. Determined to better himself as an artist, he decided to pursue formal training after moving to Canada. While in school, he discovered his knack for portraiture and now specializes in that genre of photography.

He has worked on various portrait series that challenge ideas of masculinity and identity to create a safe space for male-identifying individuals who come from the queer, BIPOC, and immigrant communities.