In the spirit of Pride Month, we pay tribute to 10 trailblazers in the entertainment industry whose stories shine the light on the inspiring courage of the LGBTQ+ community to march on and hoist its rainbow flag of awesomeness.
READ 17 coming-out stories of Filipino celebrities
ACTRESSES
KaladKaren
KaladKaren recently made history at the Summer Metro Manila Film Festival as the first transgender woman to receive the Best Supporting Actress award.
The movie, Here Comes the Groom, that won her the award was her first foray into acting beyond her usual roles as a reporter or TV host.
In her acceptance speech, a tearful KaladKaren said, "Etong parangal na ito ay hindi lamang po recognition ng aking trabaho, kundi pati na rin po ng aking pagkatao.
"When I entered show business, I never thought na makakakuha po ako ng award kasi, as a transgender woman, I thought I will never be enough."
READ Kaladkaren, ikalawang trans woman na nanalo ng acting award sa Pilipinas
Iyah Mina
At the 14th Cinema One Originals filmfest in October 2019, Iyah Mina achieved a milestone of a lifetime.
She was the first transgender woman in the entire history of Philippine cinema, not just in the festival's history, to receive the plum Best Actress award for her portrayal as a sex worker in the dramedy Mamu; and A Mother Too.
Expressing profound gratitude in her heartfelt speech, Iyah shouted out, "Maraming salamat po! Ito po ay para sa trans community, para sa atin ‘to!"
READ Best Actor winner ng GEMS, umaapelang Best Actress dapat siya
BB Gandanghari
BB Gandanghari was once a renowned matinee idol known as Rustom Padilla, sharing the screen with gorgeous actresses of Philippine showbiz in a notable repertoire of romantic, drama, and action films.
Following a hosting career in ABC 5's Wheel of Fortune, Rustom pursued a film-making course in the United States before becoming a she.
Emerging as BB Gandahari in Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition in March 2006, she had told fellow housemate Keanna Reeves it was really her plan to come out in the show as gay.
She said in another interview about her path to self-discovery, "Hindi ko naman naiisip noon na bilang Rustom, magpapatawag ako na BB after 21 years or 31 years? I really don’t know."
In January 2009, she officially identified herself as trans, and made the decision to undergo gender confirmation surgery.
SINGERS
JAKE ZYRUS
Once hailed by Oprah as the most talented kid in the world, the then known Charice Pempengco achieved international success as the first solo Asian artist to have a Top 10 album on the Billboard charts in 2010.
At the young age of 16, the singing prodigy, showing mature composure and powerful vocals, captivated a crowd of 18,000 as a special guest at a Celine Dion concert.
However, that chapter belonged to a past life and a different name.
Courageously coming out as a transgender man in 2017 rechristened Jake Zyrus, he underwent male chest reconstruction, started testosterone treatment, leaving his identity as Charice Pempengco behind.
As Jake continues to navigate his artistic path, he embraces his authentic self, determined to create music with his unique sound that reflects his true identity and resonates with his audience.
Ice Seguerra
Formerly known as Aiza Seguerra, Ice Seguerra has embraced his true identity as a transgender man after initially coming out as a lesbian in 2007.
The highly acclaimed singer-songwriter shared that although he's ben exposed to the various facets of showbiz, he still faces bigotry and endures homophobic slurs.
A part of his lengthy Instagram post on June 19, 2023 read: "Coming out as a transman, I knew I would get a lot of hate... We must constantly prove ourselves and go above and beyond to be ‘worthy’ of society’s acceptance.
"Never mind if we’re good people, they will reduce us to nothing to prove they are ‘right’ about who they think we are."
Through it all, he has maintained his stance as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and continued to inspire others like him through his work in music and the arts.
BEAUTY QUEENS
Kevin Balot
One of the most difficult challenges Kevin Balot had to overcome during her childhood was facing rejection from her own family, particularly her father.
Growing up, she found the inner strength to make her way into the world sashaying and making known her authentic self.
Focusing her energy on participating in beauty pageants, her greatest passion, Kevin has achieved remarkable success.
In 2012, she took part in Miss International Queen, a pageant for transgender women. Being only the second choice to represent her country, Kevin defied expectations and emerged as the winner.
Her empowering advice to transwomen facing similar challenges: "Don't be afraid to express yourself and to be judged by everyone. You need to learn from the struggles you're having and do something to make yourself better.
"I promise that you'll eventually see some changes [in yourself] and become happy."
Fuschia Anne Ravena
Known for her business acumen, Fuschia Anne Ravena also has proved her supremacy in pageantry, having triumphed over 22 other contestants to earn the Miss International Queen 2022 title in Thailand.
Following in the footsteps of Trixia Maristela in 2015 and Kevin Balot in 2012, Fuschia Anne Ravena solidified her place as the third Filipino to claim the coveted crown.
During the final round of questions and answers, the participants were asked about their strategies for promoting equality if they were to win the pageant.
Fuschia's winning answer: "My first message to everyone is to spread love peace, and unity because that is the most important thing that we do as of the moment and what's happening in the world right now."
Mela Habijan
As the inaugural titleholder of Miss Trans Global 2020, Mela Habijan has shown triumphantly that her crown was a profound affirmation of everything she believed herself to be.
A passionate transgender rights activist and community organizer, she has leveraged her influence on social media to start constructive dialogues on LGBTQIA+ issues, pressing political affairs, and matters pertinent to trans welfare and healthcare.
Her impactful presence led to her recognition as one of the esteemed honorees in Cosmo.ph's Women of Influence 2023. During the event, she delivered a compelling speech:
"I cannot believe that I am stepping up on this stage being regarded as a person of influence and more importantly a woman. Because not everyone would agree, not everyone will say I am a woman."
READ Transwoman Mela Habijan delivers powerful speech at Cosmo.ph's Women of Influence 2023 dinner
ENTREPRENEUR
Angie Mead King
Angie Mead King comes from a renowned family that established the successful Victoria Court properties, which have now been rebranded as Hotel Ava.
During her early relationship with her current wife, Joey Mead King, Angie disclosed her affinity for wearing women's underwear. Joey's acceptance and support of Angie's cross-dressing experiments encouraged her to explore her femininity further.
Having overcome personal battles and obstacles, Angie and Joey are committed to being vocal advocates who actively support the passing of the SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) Equality bill.
Angie said in an interview with Tatler Asia, "The SOGIE Equality Bill is one of the longest-running bills that have not been passed because the rule-makers are all on the opposite end of the spectrum...
"They don’t understand it; they feel like it crosses over to their rights when, in reality, it doesn’t. It’s a protection for anyone who might be different from the binary male-female description."
YOUTUBER
Jesi Corcuera
Seven years have passed since Jesi Corcuera's participation in Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7, where he was recognized as the "Transman of the House ng Cavite."
Jesi initially appeared on television as a lesbian contestant in the local talent search program StarStruck back in 2006, where he formed a love team with fellow contestant Paulo Avelino.
As a 32-year-old vlogger, Jesi openly shared his journey of transitioning to a transgender man, starting from 2013 when he began undergoing surgeries.
In October 2021, his powerful message in an Instagram post in which he displayed his surgery scars made the headlines online.
He conveyed: "Hindi maitagong ngiti. Mga ngiti na walang katumbas na halaga.
"Maaring hindi niyo maintindihan ang sayang aking nararamdaman. Pero sa likod ng mga hiwa sa ilalim ng aking dibdib yan ang simbolo ng aking kalayaan. Kalayaan sa mapanghusgang lipunan."
