Filipinos in Queensland take the lead in challenging migrant community taboos on sex education and intimacy

Sex is considered a taboo topic among Filipinos, but how can it be opened up, especially when a child has grown up in Australia, a more liberal country?

Filipino Australian Brisbane Society Inc. (FABS) produced education video being pretested to community members. Credit: Celeste Macintosh

Key Points

• Researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), in collaboration with Filipino Australian Brisbane Society Inc. (FABS), are confronting cultural taboos on sex education, intimacy, and relationships within migrant communities in Queensland, aiming to promote open discussions and education on these vital topics.
• Through the "Breaking the Stigma - Let's Talk Community Leaders Event," QUT and FABS aim to bridge cultural gaps by creating an inclusive space for Filipino-Australians to openly discuss topics such as sexual health, intimacy, and relationships, which are often considered taboo in traditional Filipino culture.

In an interview with SBS Filipino, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Lead Researcher Jo Durham mentioned the significant support of the Filipino community in the campaign.

"We approached different communities in Queensland, and they said that talking about sex is taboo in our culture, and there's a need for it, especially in intergenerational families where it causes tension. However, when we asked them to join us, none were as responsive as the Filipino community," she said.

Lead researcher Jo Durham with researcher Jana Ventura Credit: Celeste Macintosh

Many parents or elders migrated later in life, and perhaps they didn’t have sexual education back in the Philippines. Since then, they have migrated here, and their children have been raised in Australia. The children may have had more exposure to talking about these topics in school or with friends.

QUT Researcher and Filipino-Australian Jana Ventura

The project involves three impactful videos that mix insight, humour, and reflection to spark conversations on healthy relationships, sexual education, and available support systems, helping to normalise discussions that many are hesitant to address.

Actor Mike Cosinas Credit: Celeste Macintosh

By addressing sexual education and relational dynamics, QUT and FABS are setting a precedent for other migrant communities to build understanding and support systems that foster healthy, informed choices and reinforce community resilience.

Dixie Morante hepls facilitate discussion at QUT Brisbane Credit: Celeste Macintosh

We feel that Filipinos living in Australia are torn between the Filipino values inculcated by their parents, yet they are living in a liberated Australian community. So, we thought that FABS will create that entry point to having that open discussion and being objective about [sex education and intimacy].

FABS President Dixie Morante

Dixie Morante and Gemma Goutous of the Filipino Australian Brisbane Society Inc. Credit: Celeste Macintosh