“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 4-7, NIV

When love is described as good as this, why should anyone be denied of it? Philippe Angelo Hiñosa is a 22-year-old sociology student at the University of the Philippines – Visayas, and a writer whose pieces talk about family, education, politics, and his personal experiences. Like most Filipino people, Philippe was raised with faith and religion. In his essay entitled “Love and Faith”, he opens up about his personal experience as an LGBTQIA+ community member, and how it affected his own faith.

For LGBTQIA+ members who are still in the closet, Philippe advises taking their time in coming out. It is okay if you are not ready to open up, and that there are many ways to support the community while you’re in the closet. He also encourages both allies and members to continue educating people, since it is the core of the movement.

For those who are against the LGBTQIA+ community, he implores them to truly learn and understand what the community is. He shares that it is more than just gender struggles, but also the struggles we all collectively experience under oppressive systems.

Philippe started writing through campus journalism. He first joined the Journalism Press Conference contest in sixth grade, but never fell in love with writing until he started to use journaling as a form of coping with his depression. This is when he realized that writers can tap into their memories and experiences, then translate them into words that other people can relate to.

When it comes to writing, Philippe shared practical tips for aspiring writers. His advice is to outline and sort your ideas first, to keep all your drafts (no matter how bad you think they are), to take rejection as a form of criticism, to cultivate a reading habit, to go out and experience life, and lastly, to write for the truth.

Learn more about Philippe’s writing journey and his thoughts about love and faith on Indie Co’s podcast, available on Spotify.