Proud transbabae

When the chance to return to Hong Kong arose, I did not have second thoughts and immediately said yes to the invitation from Dr. Sam Winter to speak once again in his Sexual and Gender Diversity course at the University of Hong Kong. (see pic above) The first time I did so, I was not even half-way through my term as STRAP chairwoman and so I was looking forward to this trip as it coincided with the end of my first year heading the STRAP Working Group, STRAP's team of officers. I am very proud of the many things we have accomplished in the last activist year and the talk at HKU was a good chance to tell the world the many great things that STRAP has achieved in such a short time.



I was particularly happy that one of STRAP's hard working officers, our Internal Affairs Head Santy Layno was there with me once again (see pic above). I have been mentoring her the past year and have been urging her to try her hand at public speaking. I am always very happy when a girl finds her voice in STRAP. It makes me even more proud when she starts using that voice to speak for herself.



I was very happy to share the stage with Santy (see pic above) because it is always a good thing when people see other proud transbabae, another term for transpinay that came from one of our sisters Greta. I want the world to see that there are hundreds of transbabaes in the Philippines and it is time to unleash their voices. We have sisters in many regions in the country and I am excited that they are expressing their desire to join the conversation on human rights as they should. Yes, to borrow from Maozedong, let a hundred flowers blossom indeed!



It is my hope that more of the world will see the many other Filipina trans activists who are here in the Philippines, working hard to make real change like Santy. Santy made me proud when she gamely answered questions from the HKU students in the hall that day (see pic above).I hope that more STRAP girls will choose to be active this year. We have so much to do and we will need people on the ground who do not only talk the talk but also walk the walk. STRAP is a well-spring of potential and I know that together we can do so much more for ourselves and the communities we serve.

I am especially struck when I am with the STRAP girls and see that many of them have surpassed the point of victimhood. Of course we always acknowledge the travails and hardships that come with being trans but more and more of us seem to be rejecting the victim mentality and really taking charge of our lives. They are not just complaining about how hard life is they are actually doing something about it, dreaming big, breaking barriers and going after jobs that transwomen of the past generation would have never dared go into: human resources, management, entrepreneurship, health care, information and communications technology, etc. My STRAP sisters truly are my inspiration and I always love telling the world about them.

If you are on Facebook, make sure to like STRAP's Facebook fan page and tell your friends and loved ones of this great community of sisters, proud transbabaes, working to make Philippine society a better place.