Same sex fiance visa.

Welcome to the forum Stewart

A question I would ask is whether or not your partner has to show his passport to his family after he gets his visa? If he is not yet ready to come out, then I am pretty sure he will need to keep that visa away from prying eyes. Even if your name is not there, he would have a fiance visa which would no doubt arouse a few questions about his girlfriend (if they assume he is straight).

It is a tricky one. In the Philippines (I assume your fiance is a Filipino) I have found people in places such as Manila and Cebu are quite happy if their son/brother/cousin is gay, but in smaller communities like ones in Mindanao, it can be difficult for people to come out. Which is why many gay people from those places move to the bigger cities.

However, I would also encourage you to mention in your supporting letter of sponsorship that your fiance has not come out to his family, so they only know you as a friend. Scary as it might sound, they will understand how in some communities coming out is a big no no.

And also, good luck with your application.

Cavite, then not too far from Manila No doubt that comes in handy to get away from the future inlaws.

Though I am not sure if your name will be on the visa itself (I plan to go through the visa route later this year with my wife) I think currently there might be an issue over wording. By wording I am talking about civil Partnership being the current term used for gay marriages, now it is just a name (for the most part) but perhaps it might show on the visa?

Though, if that is the case then I am sure a few excuses will prevent relatives looking at his passport! Or, waiting until our Prime Minister pulls his finger out and gives full and equal rights to same sex wedding ceremonies, then of course the terminology would also change on the visas (if indeed they are currently different).

Hi Stewart, welcome to the forum.

I can understand the worry about being out or not, in Manila I've not personally seen open prejudice against gay people but I know it does exist, however parents are rarely completely in the dark on this question and they may well have some suspicions, at least he has been to the UK before and the parents I am sure will be keen for him to return so might not be too upset if they see it as not a lot different from their son or daughter marrying outside the country.

My son is constantly teased about being bakla by our family simply because he is a gentle wee boy, he's actually way too young to even understand and I wish they would stop teasing him as he just needs to grow up and find his own way, but I can assure you that my son is much loved by the entire family and no one would be bad to him if he did grow up to be bakla.

Your question is certainly an interesting one and one I had never thought about, clearly the visa will be labelled a Civil Partnership or Fiancée visa and the stamp or paper insert will be attached to his passport, this brings up legality questions in it's own right as I am fairly sure same sex marriage is not recognised in the Phils, but anyway it's pretty hard in the Phils to keep anything a secret and he might have some uncomfortable moments if it is discovered by his family.

As to names on the visa as Kuya says one would imagine that such a visa would have a name on it, I presume a spouse visa would be the same so I guess plenty of the other guys on here could answer the name question.

Anyway all the best to you both Stewart and welcome again to the forum

Hmm. I think one problem in the Phils is how people think of gay people as all being effeminate, kind of like how it was in the UK many moons ago.

I didn't see too much hostility but there are two people within my extended family (inlaws) who are gay/bi and deal with this in different ways. One of my wife's cousins is quite openly bisexual, to my knowledge he has not been victim to any homophobia, plus his family support him. Though another cousin from the other side of the family is either still in the closet or just curious, as I found numerous gay porn sites in the most visited list on the internet browser (whilst trying to sign into this site). Sadly though, that cousin lives in the boondocks and so is unlikely to be coming out any time soon.

Yes the assumption is that a bakla will be a theatrical bakla, it is probably much harder for the lads that are not particularly effeminate and there are plenty like that, there are a few nightclubs in Malate that are very specifically gay and the blokes in there behaved no different to anyone else as far as I could see.

Cavite is not quick the sticks, but it's also not quite the cosmopolitan city like Manila so things might be a bit more difficult for gays there.

Thanks Stewart

Looking forward to finding out how you get on. Good luck to you and your fiance