 In the classical era of the islands, prior to Spanish occupation, homosexual individuals usually (but not always) became "babaylan", which are traditionally feminine shamans of the animistic religions.They functioned as healers, mediators, and highly-respected spiritual leaders of the communities on par with the ruling nobility.These shamans, however, were persecuted during the conversion of most Philippine ethnic groups into Christianity and Islam, resulting in the discrimination faced by the LGBT community in the present-day.