tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65194990057220310202024-03-12T21:58:18.446-07:00TRANSGENDER FILIPINA (PinayTG)This is the online journal of Naomi Fontanos, a transgender (TG for short) Filipina (Pinay for short) human rights defender. As a proud advocate of human diversity, equality and dignity, she dreams of a gender-blind world. This blog is her contribution to that dream.PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-58935160054171897132013-09-21T20:42:00.001-07:002014-01-08T19:16:08.233-08:00The T in LGBT in the Philippines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
If you are the average Filipino, most likely you’ve heard of the LGBT or GLBT or GLTB movement or community in the Philippines. Most likely, as well, you can figure out on your own what the L and G part (which stand for lesbian and gay) are all about. But to review, gay men are men who identify as gay and are emotionally and physically attracted to men. Lesbian women are those who identify as lesbian and are emotionally and physically attracted to women.<br />
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Chances are you will be confounded by the B and the T (which stand for bisexual and transgender). A bisexual person is someone who is emotionally and physically attracted to people of both genders. I don’t want to be presumptuous so I will only discuss the T part. Hopefully my avowedly bisexual friends will speak up here to tell us more about bisexuality.</div>
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But before we go any further, let me introduce some key concepts in understanding what transgender means:<br />
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<b>Sexual orientation</b>: refers to whom a person is emotionally and physically attracted and that person's choice to act on that attraction. It can be to a person of the same sex (homosexual), opposite sex (heterosexual), both sexes (bisexual), or all kinds of people (polysexual). Now, there are people who identify as asexual. They are people who do not engage in sexual activities that require bodily contact with others.<br />
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<b>Gender identity</b>: is a person’s sense of gender whether or not that person is male, female, both or neither.<br />
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<b>Gender expression</b>: includes a person's dress, mannerisms, speech patterns, physical appearance, and other acts that express that person's gender. Gender expression may or may not conform to people's expectations of a person.<br />
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<b>Gender variance or gender diversity</b>: describes those who choose not to or cannot follow birth-assigned gender norms. More people use the term gender diversity because "variance" has negative connotations.<br />
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In the initialism, LGBT, L, G. and B denote sexual orientation. T denotes gender identity or gender expression. So going back, T is for transgender. It was originally coined in the United States and is mistakenly attributed to Virginia Prince, a crossdresser who wanted to describe her desire to change her gender expression but not her anatomy. More than three decades later, the term has now evolved and is understood within and outside LGBT communities around the world as an umbrella term to describe those whose gender identities and/or gender expressions are not traditionally associated with their birth-assigned sex.<br />
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In its broadest sense, transgender can describe anybody regardless of sexual orientation, whose appearance, personal characteristics, and behaviors do not fit conventional definitions of “man” and “woman” as they were taught to us. Traditionally, this can include anyone from feminine-acting men or masculine-looking women to people who use hormones and/or surgery to align their bodies with their gender identity. Remember, transgender is not a sexual orientation and thus encompasses a wide range of people who may identify as nonsexual (asexual), heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and/or polysexual.<br />
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In the Philippines, however, the concepts of gender identity and sexual orientation are blurred. It also does not help that the "homosexual" discourse is very strong, which tends to invisibilize those who are transgender. A case in point is the ordinary Miss Gay beauty pageant. Held in almost all villages in the Philippines, a Miss Gay pageant is actually a pageant for transgender women. But because we all grew up knowing only the word gay (what with the word transgender coming to our consciousness only recently), many Miss Gay contestants would actually call themselves gay or homosexual even when they are obviously transgender. This is now slowly changing with trans beauty pageants' increasing use of the word "Queen." So now, we have a pageant in Cebu in the Visayas called, Queen. Another one in Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao is called Miss De Oro Femina. Yet, another one in Antipolo is called Queen of Antipolo. A recently held pageant for transgender women on TV was dubbed, "Queen of Queens." Filipinos are also now aware that pageants for gay men are more appropriately called "Mister Gay."<br />
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What confounds this issue more is the existence of indigenous terms for gender diverse people in the Philippines, such as "bakla," which denotes a very effeminate man and "tomboy," which refers to a very masculine woman. These words were originally meant as gender terms and not terms for sexual orientation. Thus, in the Philippines, there is a popular children's rhyme that goes "Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy," an articulation of a hierarchical gender system. Filipino children use this nonsense rhyme to make fun of those who are "bakla" or "tomboy" in a game of random tag.<br />
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With the advent of psychology, anthropology and sexology in the Philippines starting in the 60s, "bakla" and "tomboy" were misinterpreted as equivalent to sexual identities in the West. "Bakla" became gay and "tomboy" became lesbian. This is unfortunate since this misinterpretation did not capture the nuance of many "bakla" claiming to be "pusong babae" or having the heart of a woman. In the same vein, many of those who called themselves "tomboy" would say they were "pusong lalake" or had the heart of man. A "bakla" who is emotionally and physically attracted to a man would therefore technically be straight. In the same way that a "tomboy" who is emotionally and physically attracted to a woman had a heterosexual orientation. Science would insist, however, that they were simply gay or lesbian respectively.<br />
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Furthermore, all others who were not named in the hierarchy that was "Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy" were subsumed under these indigenous terms as well. Transgender women or transwomen were also "bakla" and therefore gay; while transgender men or transmen were also "tomboy" and therefore lesbian. These indigenous terms were already inherently derogatory as demonstrated by the nonsense rhyme above. In the Philippines, "bakla" and "tomboy" form the lesser rungs of a pecking order. When they took on the additional layer of denoting sexual identity or sexual orientation, they turned even more pejorative. So, when someone uses these terms to disparage another person, it is meant to express disgust not only at the person's gender identity or expression but as well as that person's presumed sexual proclivities.<br />
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It is no surprise then that many of those who call themselves transgender in the modern sense in the Philippines tend to veer away from the use of these terms to call themselves with. Many transwomen are uncomfortable to be called "bakla," while transmen virulently oppose the use of "tomboy" in referring to themselves. This is understandable since to many transwomen, they are clearly female or just girls; while to many transmen, they are most definitely male or just boys. Again, the larger society would insist that they were simply "gay/bakla" or "lesbian/tomboy" respectively.<br />
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There is also a difference in stance on these terms among Filipino gay men and lesbian women. Some gay men still use "bakla" to refer to themselves, while some lesbians still use "tomboy." But in general, Filipino gay men just call themselves "gay," while lesbian Filipinas call themselves, "lesbiyana" or "lesbyana." Many transgender women continue to use the term "bakla" and other indigenous terms like "bayot" in the Visayas and "bantut" in Mindanao to refer to themselves. The same goes for transgender men who use the word "tomboy" to identify themselves. Although, I am aware of only very few who do so. What is the difference between a gay man and transgender woman who both call themselves "bakla"? Simply, the gay man is a man; while the transgender woman is a woman. What is the difference between a lesbian woman and transman who both call themselves "tomboy"? The lesbian is a woman while the transman is a man. Ideally, there should be no quarrel over this. Self-identification is a highly personal act. In the end, only a person could decide what term or name is right for him or her. Today, more and more people in the Philippines understand what it means to be transgender and Filipino. They understand that a Filipino transgender woman is a woman, and a Filipino transgender man is a man.<br />
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More importantly though, if ordinary Filipinos can decide for themselves who they are and what to call themselves with, then LGBT Filipinos have every right to do so, too. This is called self-determination, a cornerstone principle of liberation that has given birth not only to nations but as well as to social justice movements the world over.</div>
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PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-8401042267476615332013-09-20T19:25:00.001-07:002013-09-26T04:40:32.394-07:00Remembering Martial Law<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>On 21 September 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in the Philippines. From 1972 until the overthrow of the dictatorship in 1986, the press was shut down, Congress was dissolved, and the nation was under an iron grip of terrifying military rule. Many of those who joined the underground resistance movement were tortured and killed by the military with full knowledge of those in power including the Marcos family. Someone who survived the Marcos years once</i> <i>said that Martial Law killed a whole generation of brilliant Filipinos who could have given so much to the nation. </i><br />
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<i>When I was young, I remember the long stretches of quiet in my small hometown in Bicol because of military rule. I remember the curfew and the fear it struck when dusk fell. You were supposed to be at home at 6 p.m. Otherwise, you would be under suspicion of anti-Martial Law activities. Back then, I was not yet aware of the excesses of the Marcoses and their cronies, of the plunder of the treasury, and of the killings of thousands of Filipinos who tried to fight the regime. I vividly recall one of many nights when our family would bang pots and pans inside our house to join a communal "noise barrage," our small hometown's way of protesting the cruel and inhumane rule of the Marcos family.</i><br />
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<i>Evey year, the Filipino nation remembers Martial Law. Below is a recollection of that time by the writer, feminist and activist Ninotchka Rosca. It is one of the most powerful recollections I have ever read. You can also read it <a href="http://www.doveglion.com/2012/09/ninotchka-rosca-the-day-manila-fell-silent/">here</a>.</i><br />
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<b>The Day Manila Fell Silent</b><br />
by Ninotchka Rosca<br />
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<i>[Talk at the Bliss on Bliss Studio, Queens, New York City; September 9, 2012; third part of Re-Collection, A Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines, the first two being an art exhibit and an installation/performance.]</i><br />
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Ironically, the most quiet day in Manila of contemporary times began with noise: a loud pounding on the glass door of a penthouse apartment I was using at the time. The friend who was hollering and shouting and bruising his knuckles on the glass, blurted out, as soon I slid the door open, “martial law na…[martial law already]” A split second of silence; then I pivoted and clicked on the radio. Nothing but white noise. Turned on the TV. Nothing but a white screen and static. Distraught friend said, “no TV, no radio station… everything’s closed down.” We eyeballed each other. The previous night’s last news item on TV flashed into my mind: a still photo of a car, its roof collapsed, windshield shattered; a male voice saying that the car of the Secretary of National Defense had been attacked but he had not been in it… It was truncated news; I thought, “what? An empty car was bombed?” As I was going to bed, I noticed that the government building behind our apartment building was all lit up: floor after floor, from top to bottom, blazing with lights. I said then, “something’s happening; and it’s happening all over the city.”<br />
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Now this friend stuttering about martial law triggered an avalanche of images in my brain. This would become a habit with me ever after, this going into mental hyperdrive, correlating incidents and data, during crisis. The cascade stopped with the face of a smiling Senator Benigno Aquino, as he said to me, while we stood in the red carpeted foyer of the old Senate, “Marcos will not catch me lying down.” I’d asked about Oplan Sagittarius, rumored to be the secret blueprint for martial law. We’d all assumed that if ever, it would go into effect in November-December. So I just teased the senator, calling him President Aquino. It would be my last face-to-face with him. In 1983, when he was assassinated, I muttered to myself, “I’d better fix my papers; Marcos will fall.” I was in New York City by then. I had filed for political asylum but it was just in stasis.<br />
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What is the point of this recollection? It is to stress that martial law was personal… PERSONAL. Everyone felt it, was affected by it, had an opinion, a thought, a feeling, about it. The day it was declared, with a friend standing there, his hair practically on end, I remembered how, a week before, a minor journalist on the military beat had generously offered to check if my name and address were on an arrest order. Young though I was, I wasn’t exactly naïve. I gave him an old address. Sure enough, the place was raided.<br />
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We moved quickly. I had to find a secure telephone so I could find out what had happened, was happening. Outside, it was so quiet, so quiet… Manila had always been a noisy city: music blaring from car and jeepney radios, from juke boxes; television noises; people yelling. But this day, it was so very, very quiet. Aboard a jeepney, there was only desultory human voices: para, mama; sa kanto lang… No music; no talking; and we avoided one another’s eyes. We were all beginning to be locked within; imprisoned as it were. When the jeepney passed a newspaper building with its front doors barred by rolls of concertina wire, we all took a sidelong glance and averted our eyes. We did not want to seem overly interested. We were beginning to learn NOT to call attention to ourselves – a very strange thing for Filipinos who, to this day, love to strut and crow and flap wings.<br />
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Being a journalist, my first impulse was to call the National Press Club. I asked for Tony Zumel, who was NPC president at the time. The secretary — she was called Baby, if memory serves me right — upon hearing my name, switched to this unusually saccharine vocal inflexion : “haaaay, hello, how are you…long time no hear” – which nobody but nobody used with me at the NPC. I asked for Tumel, our nickname for Zumel; and she sang out, “Oooooh, he’s not here. I don’t know where he is.” Pause. I asked, “military there?” And she said, “Yessss…” Nothing left but to say thanks, goodbye.<br />
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Years later, in 1986, with Marcos still in power, I’d be in the same building, looking for Tony Nieva’s office which was at the back of the NPC. A young cigarette vendor asked what I was looking for; I inadvertently said, “the office of Tony Zumel.” His eyes glazed and he looked far, far, far away, seemingly at a caravan crossing the desert, and answered, softly, “ay, matagal na pong wala iyon…matagal na. [He’s been gone a long time. A long, long time.]” I looked at him with wonder, a kid with an unbreakable connection to history.<br />
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It was personal. It was not just a piece of paper with a signature, not just a voice making the announcement; it wasn’t even the orders barked at rows of khaki- or fatigue-uniformed men. It was an absolute threat, a palpable danger, a loss of self-power and security. It endangered the usual, the common, the ordinary details of daily life. Years later, Rodolfo Salas, then chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines, would tell me of how about 200 students ran for their Central Luzon guerrilla base, throwing his group into a tizzy — though it’s hard to imagine Bilog, as we called him, even slightly nervous. “We had to feed them,” he said smiling, “and used up in one day our month’s supply.” Bilog then instructed his unit to interview each student. Those not under direct threat would return to town or city to help in the resistance. Those with “serious threats” would be given the choice of moving elsewhere: northern, southern Luzon; the Visayas; Mindanao. He said that some who were not under direct threat chose to be sent elsewhere, willing to take on the very difficult task of opening new guerrilla fronts.<br />
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Romantic in the telling, it wasn’t, in reality. The half-joke then was that if one survived for a year in the countryside, one was already a veteran. Still, many chose this manner of struggle. Because martial law was personal.<br />
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A lexicon grew for clandestine work, so that information could be imparted without naming the information. Sunog meant raid, capture. Nanununog meant someone was talking. Nasunog meant someone had been betrayed. And of course, at the end of every meeting, INGAT, which recently is translated as “take care.” No nothing as innocuous as that. It meant “be careful” out there. And as if to underscore the intellectual underpinnings of the budding movement, the Communist Party was the Q, following the symbolic logic formula, if p then q.<br />
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Thus the struggle against martial law would begin – quietly, carefully, slowly, in a process of learning,, unlearning and refinement as it went along. It was fought not only with guns, since even guerrillas could not survive without supplies and there were no deep bases as yet. Supply teams were set up in Manila for various regions, because while there was food of a sort in the countryside, there was little by way of cash. Certain things just had to be bought. I recall at the time that the request for supplies for the Cordillera region, then called Montanosa, came to a measly 800 pesos a month. For as long as I could, I gave all of it.<br />
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One early coup de plume would cheer the city of Manila, at least. A poem, well written, was published by a magazine controlled by Marcos’s cronies. Just a little poem but all the letters starting each line, when scanned downward, read: Marcos, Hitler, Diktador, Tuta… Via the grapevine, we learned almost instantly it had been done by Pete Lacaba. The owners tried to have all the copies recalled but one was delivered to my residence, so I was fortunate enough to have seen it with my own eyes. This kind of daring would set the tone for the struggle’s propaganda.<br />
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The first issue of Liberation came out in 1975, I believe. The making of it had its comedic moments. Since the cover had to be photo-stenciled, one young man went to a Makati Gestetner store, pretended to be buying a machine, and when the sales agent was distracted by a phone call, loaded the designed front page into the machine. Remember that one had to apply for a license to even have a mimeograph machine. Distribution of copies was done by a Volkswagen so old its driver door kept swinging open every 350 meters, as it were, revealing all the newsletter stacks on the backseat. But by 1986, I was assured that copies were being inserted into Marcos’s election propaganda, distributed by his party for the election. It was no longer the mimeographed version I was familiar with; it was printed, likely by the same printing presses doing Marcos’s propaganda and equally likely, paid for by the same budget appropriation.<br />
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The struggle learned how to struggle and in that learning were many, many stories – of rage and laughter, of loss and gains. The death of Puri Pedro, murdered by a military officer, was a palpable pain over our neighborhood. The escape of political prisoners, on the other hand, brought an almost carnival mood. It is my hope that one day, all stories will be told, affirming that those who were imprisoned — 100,000 by the then Secretary of Defense own admission – can be named; that those who were murdered – 3,000 plus have been documented but more died in so-called “encounters” – can be named; and those who disappeared – 759 documented, though there were more – can be named.<br />
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For on the day Manila fell quiet, it was not only noise, music, talk, chatter, the hum of a vibrant life, that martial law sought to take away from us. Martial law sought to reduce the millions of names in the archipelago to the handful of the Marcos clan and cronies, denying millions the right to be, to exist, to be named. Martial law reduced the entire population of the archipelago to the Marcos clan and cronies; nobody else was of significance; no one else’s desire, wishes, goals and dreams mattered. Martial law sought to erase all of us, rendering us merely props on the stage where the supposed magnificent destiny of clan and cronies would unfold. Martial law dehumanized us, rendered us NAMELESS. We were all rendered non-persons. The response was to take martial law as personal and to work for both an individual and collective democracy fascism couldn’t break. This was done in the interfaces of life which couldn’t be policed, away from surveillance, in the days most quiet need. From time to time, the little noises would break out into a huge yell – a noise barrage protesting the fraudulent Manila election; students banging on the door bars and window rails quickly installed at university campuses.<br />
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Forty years later, here we are, in a re-collection of those times, at a cool basement gallery, in a neighborhood of a city so different from the terrain where what we have re-collected occurred. We are on the other side of the globe, though I’m pleased to remember the first reading ever honoring the murdered poet Emman Lacaba (at the Bowery church) and the first reading honoring murdered and imprisoned Filipino poets (sponsored by PEN American Center for which it was excoriated by the head of PEN Philippines) took place in this city – two events I was fortunate to help set up.<br />
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In our own fashion, in the Philippines, in the US and wherever we were, we dealt with martial law and the continued usurpation of the archipelago by the Marcos Clan and Cronies. We learned as we went along, as martial law was a very new thing, we had no models of resistance to it. But we learned, making as much noise as possible as we learned, and we learned very well indeed.<br />
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Which is why the national (official) reluctance to deal with martial law, to name it for what it was, to extract justice for the damage it inflicted upon people and the islands – this reluctance has been so distressing. The revision of history began almost at once, and it took the form immediately of denying the power of the people in the overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship. Instead, the overthrow has been ascribed to a few names – “heroes” – and supernatural elements. Hell, if people hadn’t taken their courage in hand, all the “heroes” would have died under tank fire. But so it goes; the rich and powerful preserve their own construct. Victims of human rights violations remain bereft of justice; those who imprisoned, murdered, raped, still walk untrammeled and often in power; those who shared in the division of loot and turf continue to hold on to what they had stolen – even as the people, yes, the people, were being reduced to metaphorical observers in the narrative of the struggle against martial law.<br />
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Because of this national (official) reluctance, the legacy of martial law continues: the impunity of assassinations, murder and relentless violence, warlordism and turfism, the perverse view that public money is the private treasury of those in authority and the idea that the people are unthinking lumps of matter entitled only to lies and trickery. How steadily amnesia has taken over minds and hearts – with those who should be in disrepute elevated to pedestals of respect. Marcos Clan and Cronies are finger-painting daisies on a curtain being drawn over the putrid night of the martial law years. Their egos, swollen with the unlimited self-indulgence of the martial law years, have not shrunk to proper proportions. Only truth can do that; only justice can do that.<br />
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Forty years after Manila fell silent, let us push away the cacophony of lies and sink ourselves once more into the quiet truth of that day. Because as martial law was personal then, it is still personal now.<br />
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As they seek to perpetuate the legacy of martial law, we must perpetuate the legacy of those who fought it. What can we, who live so far from the hard heat of a Philippine summer, the cool of monsoon rains, what can we do – we who are on the other side of the globe, in a strange city, in a strange neighborhood and who are now gathered today in a cool basement gallery, so very different from the terrain visited by martial law?<br />
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Many of you weren’t even born yet when Marcos was overthrown, much less when martial law was declared. And yet here we all are, fighting NOT to be nameless in this neighborhood, this city, this state, this country, in the intricate workings of capital.<br />
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Through the years I have seen and been engaged in many big and small movements, artistic and political and often both; they waxed and waned, surged and ebbed, and petered out, even as our numbers increased. Many poets, many writers, many painters, many sculptors of Filipino descent worked and struggled in this country, trying to bring an awareness of what has transpired, is transpiring, in 7,000 islands on the other side of the globe. And like a Sisyphean task, we have seen the words we wrote, images we drew, figures we shaped, shatter and fade even as we continued to write, to draw, to sculpt.<br />
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There is a need for permanence to our work, a deep-rootedness, to mark it as of this place though prism-ed by events elsewhere. We need to affirm that we are of this place and of this time, though our lineage may be elsewhere. We need affirm our right to be here – to be visible and engaged in this country, to be as a branch of the banyan tree which, even as it issues forth from the mother trunk, seeks to sink its own roots into the alien loam. By affirming our right to be here, our right to fashion a life and a destiny for ourselves here, by affirming our right and duty to make history in the time and place of our lives, by affirming our right to have a name, as it were, here, we defeat the original intent of martial law. In the process, we also help create a genuine democracy for ourselves, our communities, our brothers and sisters of different colors and different ethnicities. And that, as we did learn in the years following the day Manila fell silent, is the path to victory.<br />
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Thank you and, because dangers continue, INGAT– #</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-5820686375289357902013-09-15T04:32:00.001-07:002013-09-26T04:39:30.281-07:00A criminal love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>A comment piece I wrote on a proposed legislative measure to criminalize same-sex adultery in the Philippines was published in the country's leading broadsheet, the <a href="http://opinion.inquirer.net/60139/a-criminal-love">Philippine Daily Inquirer</a>.</i> <i>The measure, House Bill 2352, was filed by Rep. Edcel "Grex" Lagman as an amendment to the provision on marital infidelity in the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines. You can read the piece through the link above or below:</i><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A criminal love</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
By Naomi<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fontanos</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In Europe, adultery is no longer a crime. In the US, around 30 states
have abolished their adultery laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
October 2012, the <span class="lblnewstitle">United Nations (UN) Working Group on
discrimination against women in law and in practice issued a joint statement</span>
calling on governments of the world to repeal their adultery laws because they <span class="lblnewsfulltext">lead to discrimination and violence against women. In
spite of these, in August 2013, first-time lawmaker Edcel “Grex” Lagman filed
House Bill (HB) 2352 in Philippine Congress to amend the provision on adultery
under the Revised Penal Code (RPC). HB 2352 seeks to </span>penalize married
spouses who have sexual intercourse with same-sex partners.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Husband’s Lover </span>bill</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
HB 2353 is more popularly called <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My
Husband’s Lover </span>bill after the title of a primetime TV show that depicts
what the proposed legislation wants to address. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Husband’s Lover</span> is about the life of a woman, Lally, who is
married to a man, Vincent with whom she has children. Later, the show reveals
that Vincent is still emotionally and physically attracted to an old lover,
another man named Eric. The show has become hugely popular prompting the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to call for a morality
check on the show. In defense, the show’s creators issued a statement saying
that their program depicts “real-life situations.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be clear, marriage in the Philippines remains exclusively
heterosexual. That is why HB 2352 surprised many in the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) community. In media interviews, Lagman asks LGBT
Filipinos to support HB 2352. After all, he said the measure pushes for equal
rights of LGBT people and is a step towards gender equality. In the bill’s
explanatory note, he qualifies this support by saying “Although I am open and
supportive of gender equality, we must not limit its concept with the positive
side of things. Just like in a marriage, equality should be present ‘for better
or for worse.’ Meaning, equality must be upheld both in the rewards and as well
as in the sanctions given by the society. If the LGBT group insists on equal
rights, they must also be prepared to accept and carry the burden of equal
liability and responsibility. That is the essence of democracy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In actuality, no national law has ever been enacted to specifically
protect or promote the rights of LGBT Filipinos. In fact, in the last 14 years
starting 1999, attempts to pass into law an Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB) that
would penalize discriminatory practices towards members of the LGBT community
have been repeatedly thwarted in Congress. Through the years, documented cases
have accumulated showing LGBT Filipinos at the receiving end of abusive and
discriminatory treatment based on their sexual orientation and gender identity
(SOGI) in their own homes and communities, workplaces, schools and in public
and private institutions and establishments. Even in places where there are
local ordinances meant to protect them, LGBT Filipinos continue to experience
discrimination. Not surprisingly, many LGBT rights advocates have rejected HB
2352.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Legal stigmatization of gender
and sexuality</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
HB 2352 comes in the heels of recently passed laws
that rights advocates have opposed. To the dismay of many, the Philippine
government under President Benigno S. Aquino III has enacted several laws that stigmatize
gender and sexuality. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
<span class="lblnewsfulltext">In March 2012, Republic
Act (RA) 10158, which seeks to decriminalize vagrancy, was signed into law.
Many women’s rights organizations opposed RA 10158 because of its problematic
definition of vagrancy. Under RA 10158, vagrants are only prostitutes and prostitutes
are only women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In August 2012, the
president approved RA 10172 which allows change in the date of birth and gender
in the birth certificate in case of clerical errors. The law explicitly states,
however, that change in gender will not cover those who have undergone a “sex
change or sex transplant.” </span>Transgender rights advocates protested the
inclusion of the phrase sex transplant in the wording of the law because it is
a non-existent medical procedure. Its inclusion violates rules of clarity and
non-ambiguity, to which pieces of legislation are expected to adhere, but to no
avail. In September 2012, RA 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act
of 2012, was signed into law. It has become one of the most unpopular pieces of
legislation under the Aquino administration. RA 10175 criminalizes cybersex
along with other online activities. The law has been assailed for its intent to
curtail Internet freedom and its violation of people’s freedom of speech and
expression. At least 15 petitions were filed at the Supreme Court (SC), which
has since issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against RA 10175,
suspending its implementation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
Lagman’s <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My
Husband’s Lover </span>bill, no doubt, has the potential to follow in the
footsteps of these laws. It would be grossly ironic, given that the show after
which it was named was presumably created to enlighten people about the
real-life complexities of gender and sexuality. If passed into law, HB 2352
would be the first law in the Philippines to criminalize same-sex behavior. This
would be unfortunate since the winds of change to abolish adultery in law books
have already reached nearby countries. In Taiwan, <span class="lblnewsfulltext">women’s
groups in March 2013 asked the government to abolish adultery from the Criminal
Code because it is unfavorable to women. According to women’s rights advocates,
Taiwan’s adultery law promotes legal discrimination and maintains pervasive
gender inequality. HB 2352 would undoubtedly do the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
This is a wake-up call then for advocates to bolster
the fight for greater equality and genuine sexual and gender freedom in the
Philippines. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 120.75pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="lblnewsfulltext">*<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Naomi Fontanos is
a Filipina transgender rights advocate and co-founder of Gender and Development
Advocates (GANDA) Filipinas, a Manila-based nonprofit committed to promote
human rights in the context of development.</span></i></span></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<br /></div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-64166987140833066792011-05-03T06:18:00.000-07:002011-05-03T06:38:44.062-07:00Transwoman refused entry at Dubai airport<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=JenJanice.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/JenJanice.jpg" border="0" alt="Jen Janice"></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Jen Janice (see pic above) is not a well-known name in transactivist circles but many see her as having done so much more than others for making great strides in the corporate world. Jen Janice is currently a Program Manager for a multinational based in the Netherlands. She has worked for the same company for many years in Singapore where she is originally from until two years ago when she decided to make the big move to their Netherlands head office. <br /><br />I had the honor of meeting Jen in Copenhagen for the World Outgames where she talked about her rise in the corporate ladder as an out and proud transwoman. We hit it off really well and have kept in touch since. Besides her obvious intelligence, corporate savvy and professional credentials, Jen is a very caring, sweet and motherly person. I know for a fact that she has mentored a lot of underprivileged transgirls while living in Singapore. She is also a great cook and I have seen her whip up a storm in the kitchen producing the most delectable of foods. <br /><br />It was a shock for me to learn that she was held at the Dubai airport on her way back to the Netherlands on a business trip. She wanted to visit some friend in Dubai but was not let in. You can read her full story below. Fortunately, Jen wants change at the Dubai airport and hopefully her case will be the first step towards better treatment of all especially transgender people when they enter the United Arab Emirates (UAE).<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Transgender being refused entry into Dubai <br /></span><br />Being showcased like an attraction <br /><br />Adapted from The Gay Krant Newspaper, The Netherlands <br />Writer : PAUL HOFMAN <br />Photo by : GEERT VAN TOL <br /><br />Baffled, sad and most of all upset. Those were the feelings which came up when Jan <br />Janice reported at Customs at the airport of Dubai - one of the seven Arab Emirates <br />- together with other passengers. What should have been a pleasant visit to friends ended up in a drama. "As a transgender, I have never ever been so humiliated onto the bone". <br /><br />Without the faintest idea, Jen Janice got off the plane on that hot December day <br />and went through Customs. A few days ago she had decided to continue to the <br />United Arab Emirates to visit some friends, after a business meeting in Kuwait. She <br />was very much looking forward to it, as it had been a while since she seen her <br />friends. But in her wildest dreams she would not have guessed the end result. "I <br />was queuing up at customs and I was dressed modestly. When it was finally my <br />turn, the customs official studied my passport. He then called for help from passing-by colleague". Jen Janice was stunned. Because she is unable to speak Arabic, she could not make out any of the conversation following that. His stern <br />facial expression then changed when he heard a remark from a colleague. "I was clearly the subject. A few times, he looked at me in minute detail and then back into my passport. That was so humiliating." Because she has not had her Sexual Corrective Surgery (SRS), Jan Janice is still registered as a male. <br /><br />And then the long wait started. Jen Janice was taken out of the queue and into a separate room. "Another man joined them and together they started asking all sorts of questions. What I wanted to do in their country and why I looked the way I do? One of the officials just could not understand why I am a man but look like a woman". The men did not know what to do with her. Next, like a criminal she was taken to yet another room where she had to wait for hours again. When I asked if I could call one of my friends, they reacted rigidly that that was absolutely not possible. They also asked me why I wanted to be a woman. They were very intimidating. On top of that, it was very humiliating that more and more customs <br /> officials came into the room just to have a look at me. They all started laughing/giggling. Although it had not been mentioned yet, at that time it daunted upon me that I would be deported." <br /><br />She still is livid having been put up as a curiosity. "My passport reads that I am a <br />male. But from when I was nineteen, I already felt like a women. This has never been a problem work-wise. My management and direct colleagues respect me for who I am." <br />In the airport the doors were opened up and Jen Janice was taken to another room by <br />some airport ground-handling staff. In the departure hall we caught the attention of quite some people. In the room where she subsequently had to take place were another fifty or-so people from different countries who just like Jen Janice, would be deported. "I then lost courage. I was told officially that I would have to leave the country immediately. I felt dismayed and could have easily cried. My dignity was at stake. No reason was given as to why I had to leave. I was extremely sad that this had to happen to me. I had only wanted to visit my friends and meant no harm. Via Blackberry, I then finally managed to contact my manager. She was on the road and reacted upset when she heard my story. My employer then offered <br />help and arranged for my return trip. Not easy, because many flights had been canceled due to the heavy snowfall at Schipol airport. I was really lucky being able to leave so quickly. Else, I might have had to stay for two days in that room amongst all those other deportees. <br /><br />Back in the Netherlands, she is determined not to drop the story. Although the planned visit to her friends was purely for pleasure, her employer is supporting her wholeheartedly. "Early January, I have sent a letter to the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Singapore as I still hold a Singapore passport. But up until now I have not received a reply. The Singapore embassy in the United Arab Emirates is looking into the matter. "In future, without a doubt, I will need to travel for business to the UAE more often. So then it should be clear as to what I can expect. We've got a big leap ahead of us before transgender ladies can be themselves. All my life, I've been fighting to prove that I'm just like everyone else. The <br />fact that I have to continue to proof myself is inhumane."PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-64692554759883627522011-04-20T18:13:00.000-07:002011-04-20T18:16:19.197-07:00Love Post #1<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Sunlight.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Sunlight.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />We’re at the beach waiting for sunset, my head cradled lovingly in the nook of his shoulder, when he turns to me and says in his endearing European accent, “Baby, I have a gift for you.” He shows me a picture of the sun, a pin prick in the sky, between his thumb and pointer finger (see above). “I got the sun to put in your eye.”<br /><br />He struggles with English and when the words escape him he says “I don’t know for speak.” And I tell him that I understand him clearly and absolutely so. He says “Only you understand me.” I look at him with utter love and feel that everything is right and perfect in the world.PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-2034667079669404762010-12-14T13:38:00.000-08:002013-09-21T20:48:46.543-07:00Project Headshot ACT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Headshot.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Head shot" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Headshot.jpg" /></a><br />
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I almost forgot that for World AIDS Day this year, I was warmly invited by renowned photographer Niccolo Cosme and talented videographer Jethro Patalinghug to take part in the third offering of <a href="http://www.headshotclinic.com/">Project Headshot</a> (see above). Project Headshot is an HIV and AIDS-focused photography campaign sponsored by <a href="http://www.unaids.org.ph/">UNAIDS Philippines</a> with the tag line <span style="font-style: italic;">Saving humanity through profile pictures<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>. It began in 2008 with the the theme "Aware". In 2009, they had a second round of shoots for the next phase called "Move." This year the campaign calls people to action to emphasize voluntary HIV and AIDS screening and counseling for the third installment called "Act." Project Headshot has a Facebook fan page that you can like <a href="http://www.facebook.com/headshotclinic?v=info#!/headshotclinic?v=wall"> here.</a> <br />
The head shots were released on 1 December 2010 and many web sites have carried it. You can see it on Spot <a href="http://www.spot.ph/gallery/695/project-headshot-clinic--act-by-niccolo-cosme/article/47114">here</a> and at the Female Network <a href="http://www.femalenetwork.com/news-features/jake-cuenca-kaye-abad-pepe-smith-and-10-more-pose-for-project-headshot-clinic-for-world-aids-day">here</a>. To view the entire gallery, click <a href="http://cloudcab.com/headshotsite/">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithNiccolo.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With Niccolo" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithNiccolo.jpg" /></a><br />
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This is not the first time I worked with Niccolo, who is a celebrated photography artist here (see pic above). I had the pleasure of being shot by him when he was not yet internationally famous for an anniversary photo shoot of one of my organizations. So it was really amazing to me when the next time I saw him was when he joined the local singing reality TV show, Duets. I am happy to note, though, that fame has not changed him one bit. He is still the self-effacing, nice and sweet guy I met years back. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithJethro.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With Jethro Patalinghug" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithJethro.jpg" /></a><br />
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I was also very happy to have met for the first time the talented Jethro Patalinghug (see above). Jethro is the person behind the promotional video for the 2010 Manila Pride March called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSAbqUsZqpg&feature=autofb">One Love.</a> He is also a singer and performer and his talent just inspires me. I hope we can work together some more in the future. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithAnaSantos.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With Ana Santos" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithAnaSantos.jpg" /></a><br />
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It was a great day doing the Project Headshot ACT shoot. Ana Santos, a long-time ally and editorial director of <a href="http://www.sexandsensibilities.com/">Sex and Sensibilities.com</a>, was there as well (see pic above).<br />
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I would like to thank Niccolo and Jethro for inviting me to be part of the Headshot Clinic this year. For updates on the clinic, visit their blog <a href="http://headshotclinic.wordpress.com/">here</a>. The best part about ACT was the fact that I was the only transwoman there. Hopefully for the next installment, we will see more head shots of transpeople. That is definitely something to look forward to.</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-51143329046791275192010-12-10T18:01:00.000-08:002013-09-27T02:16:42.138-07:002010 Manila Pride March<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=STRAPonPrideDay.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="STRAP Pride" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/STRAPonPrideDay.jpg" /></a><br />
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Last 4 December 2010, the Transgender Lesbian Bisexual and Gay (TLBG) community in Manila concluded another historical Pride Parade. For the first time, the TLBG Pride March was sponsored by the local government of <a href="http://www.quezoncity.gov.ph/">Quezon City.</a> Of course, the girls were there and we decided to come in fiery and radical red. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=STRAPaffirmself-determination.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Affirm the right to self-determination" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/STRAPaffirmself-determination.jpg" /></a><br />
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We had two calls this year: AFFIRM THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION and STOP DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION. We also brought back the red truck last year that we rented again out of our own pockets this year. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithPrincessSeanel.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With Princess & Seanel" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithPrincessSeanel.jpg" /></a><br />
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Our hardworking member Seanel Caparas (rightmost in the pic above) along with her best friend Princess Jimenez (leftmost in the pic above) decorated the truck and turned it into a parade float. I was so touched when I saw the truck. Seanel and Princess truly outdid themselves and I am so grateful to them up to now.<br />
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Once again, joining the march was a tiring but fulfilling experience. Every year, it just seems to get bigger and grander. I was so proud to see that many of the people organizing the march were the first-timers when I was the co-coordinator of two years ago. I am glad that they kept the flame alive and served <a href="http://taskforcepride.blogspot.com/">Task Force Pride Philippines</a> this year. The TFP execom did a very good job this year and they deserve a big congrats!<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=NaomiRey.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With best friend Rey" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/NaomiRey.jpg" /></a><br />
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At last I was able to get a picture taken with my best gay friend in the world, Rey Banag (see above). A week before, Rey sent me a "surprise" Christmas card which had a picture of him and his partner, JM. I cried when I saw the pic and fell in love with them all over again. They are one of the best gay couples I know and I love them both to pieces. I was so elated to receive their loving message with a beautiful picture of them to boot. Now I have their picture in my wallet and it can finally be said that yes I am a fag hag. I am a true-blooded girl who loves boys who like boys. And the pic with me and Rey is my favorite picture from the march.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithJourneyfrontmanArnelPineda.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With Arnel Pineda" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithJourneyfrontmanArnelPineda.jpg" /></a><br />
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During the program, I was surprised when one of the stage hands went up to me and said that Arnel Pineda, the front man of <a href="http://www.journeymusic.com/">Journey</a> just arrived. Arnel made every Filipino proud when he became Journey's lead singer around 3 years ago. It was such a treat for him to drop by and give a solidarity message to the LGBT community. And of course, it was great meeting him in person (see above)!<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithAkbayan.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Awarding Akbayan" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithAkbayan.jpg" /></a><br />
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One of the highlights of the program that night was seeing old allies winning a special prize. Akbayan party, the partylist that originaly filed the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB) in Congress 10 years ago, attended this year's march with their usual huge contingent. The ADB seeks to penalize discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression but its passage has foundered since it was first filed 3 Congresses ago. Akbayan won Most Number of Participants in this year's parade. It was an honor to hand the award to Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros and Akbayan Chairperson Percival Cendaña (see pic above).<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Hostingtheprogram.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Hostingtheprogram.jpg" /></a><br />
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The best part of the night was meeting Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista again (see pic above). Mayor Bautista and I actually met 3 years ago when I was just a TFP volunteer and he was still the Vice-Mayor of Quezon City. We saw him in a restaurant and asked him to support the march which was going to be held in Manila then. He asked me to send in a letter to his office and I guess that gave him an idea to fully support the march in a bigger way in the future. <br />
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All in all, One Love was amazing. It was also heart-warming to see the media acknowledge the advocacy work of the transgender community. Many of the media write-ups and features on the March showed transwomen in the news. It beats me though why even if I kept saying LGBT during the program, most of the news agencies present called it the "gay pride parade" in the news the day after. I guess old habits die hard but at least now, they say LGBT as well and not only "gay and lesbian this" or "gay and lesbian" that, which is a good change. <br />
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Congratulations again to TFP. May this be the start of a long and good relationship between the annual LGBT Pride Parade and the Quezon City Government. We cannot wait for next year's Pride March!</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-6726016577177930062010-12-02T06:09:00.000-08:002010-12-02T06:18:45.849-08:00One LoveOn 4 December 2010, the Filipino Transgender Lesbian Gay & Bisexual (TLGB) community will come together once again in a show of unity to assert their right to love and their right to be which comes from one heart at the 2010 Manila Pride March. The March, still organized by <a href="http://taskforcepride.blogspot.com">Task Force Pride Philippines (TFP)</a>, is different this year as the celebrations focus on the fight against HIV and AIDS. It will also be held after a long time in Quezon City. See the publicity video for the march which features TLGB human rights activists <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSAbqUsZqpg">here</a>.PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-90929801035872813452010-11-27T17:42:00.000-08:002010-11-27T17:48:17.808-08:00Portugal passes new trans lawBelow is a press release from <a href="http://www.tgeu.org">Transgender Europe.<br /></a><br />Since November 25th Portugal has a law regulating the legal gender recognition. It is filling a legal gap human rights activists have been pointing out for a long time. With the new law, the preferred gender can be obtained using a standardized administrative procedure within 8 days. Besides the application a certificate from a medical multi-disciplinary team is necessary to fulfill the pre-conditions.<br /><br />Read the rest of this release <a href="http://www.tgeu.org/PR_Portuese_Trans_Law">here.</a>PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-56079237086800959352010-11-21T00:51:00.000-08:002010-11-21T01:08:25.608-08:00Miss International Queen 2010<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=MiniHan.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/MiniHan.jpg" border="0" alt="Mini Han of South Korea"></a><br /><br />Congratulations to the newly crowned <a href="http://www.missinternationalqueen.com/">Miss International Queen</a>, Mini Han of South Korea (see pic above). The Korean stunner was crowned on 19 November 2010, Saturday in Pattaya, Thailand where Miss International Queen, the world's most prestigious pageant for transwomen, is beamed live from Tiffany's, the world's biggest transgender cabaret.<br /><br /><a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=MiniHanwithMissUSAMissJapan.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/MiniHanwithMissUSAMissJapan.jpg" border="0" alt="Mini with Ms USA &amp; Ms Japan"></a><br /><br />Completing Mini's court are First Runner Up Ami Takeuchi of Japan (right in the pic above) and Second Runner Up Stasha Sanchez of the USA (left in the pic above).PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-52360491568409003952010-11-12T16:30:00.000-08:002013-09-26T05:25:32.985-07:00Queen, COLORS and the Cebuana transwoman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Queen.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Queen 2010" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Queen.jpg" /></a><br />
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Over the weekend from November 5-7, I went to Cebu for the second offering of <a href="http://www.queenofcebu.com/">Queen</a>, a spectacular pageant for transwomen (see pic above). Queen this year, like the last one, was held at the Pacific Ballroom of the <a href="http://waterfronthotels.com.ph/waterfront/waterfront-cebu-city-hotels-casino/">Waterfront Hotel Cebu</a>, where I was billeted thanks to the generosity of the Queen organizers.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=NaomiRicawithCarySantiago.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Naomi & Rica with Cary Santiago" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/NaomiRicawithCarySantiago.jpg" /></a><br />
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Queen is the brainchild of the Clothes for Life Foundation, an organization mostly composed of fashion designers who are Cebu-based. Its current chair is Cary Santiago, one of Cebu's most prominent people. Cary is a world-known couturier whose clientele includes the creme de la creme of the Philippines. I chatted with him post-pageant and had our pic taken as well (see above). Cary told us of his plans for Queen to be a platform to help needy communities in Cebu. I was quite impressed with his vision for Queen to be a pageant that will showcase the best of Cebu and benefit the poorest of the poor. After having met Cary, I have now become a firm believer in the aspirations of Clothes for Life and Queen. If I am ever in a position to help, I would easily choose Clothes for Life foundation as my charitable institution of choice. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Queen2009.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Rain Villagonzalo" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Queen2009.jpg" /></a><br />
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My presence in Cebu was made even more special by Rain, who was crowned the first Queen in 2009 (see above). <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Rainsfarewellwalk.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Rain's farewell walk" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Rainsfarewellwalk.jpg" /></a><br />
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Rain was stunning on pageant night as she made her farewell walk in a breath-taking Cary Santiago cream gown (see above). We realized while there that Queen was not only a pageant for Cebuanas. It is actually open to all transgender women of Filipino descent even those who live abroad. The real name of the pageant is just Queen and not Queen of Cebu. They just had to name their Facebook page Queen of Cebu as the name Queen was already taken. I think that having an international pageant like Queen in Cebu is a fantastic idea. It is a challenge to Manila-centrism and also a way to up the ante in pageantry in the country. Queen, I personally believe, has raised the bar very high for trans pageantry in the world. From concept to execution, Queen is truly one pageant for the books. It has the potential to change the face of beauty pageants for transwomen in the world.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WiththeSTRAPCebuladies.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With STRAP Cebu ladies" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WiththeSTRAPCebuladies.jpg" /></a><br />
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I was very happy to get the chance to come back to Cebu. I was there in 2007 and met a group of Cebuano transwomen, one of whom turned out to be the star of <a href="http://www.queenraquela.com/">The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela</a>, Minerva Buzon. Rain opened their home to us for a delicious feast for lunch on our last day in the city. She also invited her friends over. The ladies on the left are Rain's friends (Meg in black beside me and Paula, in a denim tube dress) Syndy (in the red dress), Weng (in white shirt, seated), Minerva (in yellow), Judy (beside Minerva) and Etep (in a striped shirt, standing).I am proud to have met these amazing Cebuanas indeed.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithCOLORSmembers.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With COLORS members" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithCOLORSmembers.jpg" /></a><br />
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Community organizing is strong in Cebu now and I am very happy to tell all of you that a new trans organization has just been established there called COLORS (Coalition for the Liberation of the Reassigned Sex). On the first night, I went out with the members of COLORS and had a smashing time (see pic above). From left to right in the pic above are Honey and her boyfriend, me, Rica, Eda, Minerva and Bonita (seated) while the girls at the back standing are Syndy, Brax and Magda.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithnewQueensfor2010.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With Queen 2010" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithnewQueensfor2010.jpg" /></a><br />
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The new Queen herself (in the middle in the pic above), Maki Mercedes, is a member of COLORS. I wish her well and hope this new chapter in her life as reigning Queen will open doors for her and opportunities to do good for the transgender community in Cebu. Congratulations again to the new Queen Universe, Queen World and Queen International 2010! Mabuhay ang Cebuana transpinay!</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-27391349192771352162010-11-02T05:51:00.000-07:002013-09-21T20:59:47.768-07:00Wan Chai bars shock transgender experts, barring them as 'lady boys'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WanChai3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Naomi arguing with Amazonia doorman" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WanChai3.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Below is a news article that came out in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Hong Kong's most widely read English broadsheet. I decided to go back to the bar in Wan Chai, Amazonia, which refused me entry in the past and luckily an SCMP journalist was there to see it all happen again. I politely introduced myself to the manager named Dave (see pic above) and he said that he'd let me in if Dr. Sam Winter and Atty. Michael Vidler, a human rights lawyer, who were with me that night would escort me the entire time. We said no. The Hong Kong trans community is in a very vulnerable position right now after the W decision barring a transsexual woman's petition to marry in the gender she identifies as. I hope that by exposing more of the bigotry that seems to pervade Hong Kong society nowadays, we have been able to call people's attention in Hong Kong enough for them to start agitating for badly needed change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Wan Chai bars shock transgender experts, barring them as 'lady boys'</span><br />
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(SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST)<br />
John Carney and Lana Lam Oct 31, 2010<br />
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Two transgender professionals from the Philippines attending a conference in Hong Kong fell victim to the very discrimination they'd come to talk about - they were denied entry to bars in the city "because they were not women".<br />
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Last week, Naomi Fontanos and Santy Layno attended a lecture for an undergraduate course at Hong Kong University entitled Sexuality and Gender: Diversity and Society. That evening they went to Wan Chai for a drink with Dr Sam Winter, the course organiser and an associate professor in the faculty of education at the University of Hong Kong, and human rights lawyer Michael Vidler, who had attended the lectur <br />
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On arriving in Wan Chai, they were told they were not welcome in certain bars. Initially, the group went to Amazonia, known for its live music.<br />
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Winter and Vidler were allowed to enter but the others were not.<br />
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The men remonstrated with door staff about this, only to be told that they were allowed to come in, but their friends weren't.<br />
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The doorman was insistent. They couldn't go in because "they are not women, they are men".<br />
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"They are lady boys" and "there are other places for people like that," he said - meaning gay clubs.<br />
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Later that night the pair were also refused entry to other Wan Chai bars - Escape and Dusk til Dawn.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WanChai2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Amazonia in Wan Chai" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WanChai2.jpg" /></a><br />
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A spokesman for Amazonia said: "It's up to our security's discretion who gets in on any given night. There is no discrimination here. We often let transvestites in and we have no problem with that. They are all paying customers."<br />
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A spokesman for Escape said this was also their policy. Dusk til Dawn said it reserved the right to refuse admission to customers.<br />
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Fontanos, 32, has a degree in secondary education from the University of the Philippines in Manila and prepares teaching materials for an English language teaching company. "I felt very offended and hurt. We were doing nothing wrong or illegal," Fontanos said. "I was surprised that this thinking exists in Hong Kong as it is a global city. It markets itself as a cosmopolitan place where all cultures converge, but there's an underlying bigotry and ignorance here."<br />
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Layno 27, has a degree in mass communications from the University of St Louis in Baguio City, and works in communications. She was equally shocked. "Hong Kong should be more advanced than this but the fact is it isn't. These people associate us with working girls, which is why they didn't let us in, but we are not. The thing is, working girls can still go into these bars but we can't."<br />
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The pair also work for the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines. Winter had brought them to speak at the University of Hong Kong, where he runs the course Sexuality and Gender: Diversity and Society.<br />
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"Naomi did a presentation about being transgender in the Philippines, while Santy took part in the question and answer session afterwards," Winter said. "They are educated, eloquent and teach on transgender issues around various campuses in the Philippines ... It's a quite depressing reminder of the ignorance, bigotry and prejudice that still exists on the streets of this city. There's a real issue here as to why ordinary, decent and law-abiding people can't get through the door at Amazonia or places like it in Hong Kong."<br />
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Human rights solicitor Vidler was appalled that the transgender pair came to Hong Kong to address transgender issues here, only to fall prey to the very discrimination that they had come to talk about.<br />
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He said he knew at least two women officers in the disciplined services - he would not say which one lest doing so revealed their identities - who are transgender.<br />
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"If they were working undercover, they wouldn't be allowed into these bars either, as they'd be assumed to be lady boys.<br />
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"They also would have no recourse against an establishment like this. But they would have recourse if the discrimination was to do with a government establishment.<br />
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"This is why there's got to be legislation introduced to protect against this kind of thing happening."<br />
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The Equal Opportunities Commission has received fewer than 10 complaints from transgender people since it was formed in 1996, a spokeswoman said.<br />
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Such complaints must be made under the disability discrimination ordinance since there is no law specifically on transgender discrimination, she said.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WanChai1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Sam Winter looking on" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WanChai1.jpg" /></a></div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-22046675325299640182010-11-01T03:10:00.000-07:002013-09-26T05:32:51.555-07:00Proud woman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=SpeakingatHKU.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Speaking at HKU" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/SpeakingatHKU.jpg" /></a><br />
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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 <a href="http://web.edu.hku.hk/course_details.php?courseCode=YEDU0003">Sexual and Gender Diversity course</a> at the <a href="http://www.hku.hk/">University of Hong Kong. </a> (see pic above) The first time I did so was in 2009. But already it feels like a long time.<br />
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It is my hope that more of the world will see the many other Filipina transactivists who are here in the Philippines, working hard to make real change.Many of them have overcome the stage 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, journalism, foreign language teaching, research, etc. I am truly in awe of this great community of sisters, proud transwomen, working to make Philippine society a better place.</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-20107457931671889092010-10-21T15:16:00.000-07:002013-09-21T21:04:08.061-07:00Glamnation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As you all know, I am in love with Adam Lambert. I wanted him to win the 8th season of American Idol and even when he didn't, it really didn't matter. The first time I saw him in the auditions for that season, I had a feeling that he was going places. He was going to be a star. And I was right. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=ConcertScreen.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Concert screen" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/ConcertScreen.jpg" /></a><br />
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So when I heard that his first headlining concert, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glam_Nation_Tour">Glamnation</a>, was making its Manila stop on 10/10/2010, I just had to see it (see pic above). <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=JayZandme.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="JayZ and me" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/JayZandme.jpg" /></a><br />
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Luckily, I scored VVIP tickets to the concert. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Adamsinging.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Glambert" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Adamsinging.jpg" /></a><br />
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Anyway, seeing Glambert perform was a nostalgic experience for me (see pic above). I was so emotionally invested in his stint on Idol that seeing him here in Manila made me feel like a stage mother! The entire evening I felt like a mother watching her son perform, all the while grinning from ear to ear. It was fantastic. Although short as expected (there were only a dozen or so songs), Adam Lambert's concert rocked it. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=WithgirldressedupasGeisha.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="With girl dressed up as geisha" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/WithgirldressedupasGeisha.jpg" /></a><br />
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I was also happy to note that his fans range from the very young to the more senior. There were a lot of high school-looking kids in the audience that night as well as mature men and women dressed very formally but singing along to "For Your Entertainment" or "What Do You Want From Me?". I loved the crowd that night and many Glambert fans came out dressed up. I had to take a pic with a girl who came dressed like a Japanese geisha (see pic above).<br />
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His concert is far from those of Madonna's or Lady Gaga's although it was good enough. It didn't reinvent the concert wheel nor did it showcase anything new in terms of technology or theatricality. It is Adam Lambert's first concert tour and it put his singing prowess in the center of it. I know that he is taking a lot of inspiration from old school Glam Rock but I just wish he would add something fresh to it aside from his voice and looks. <br />
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I have high hopes for him though but he has to make his concerts more exciting. I know in the future he will master the art and science of staging concerts down pat and I can imagine him headlining concerts as unforgettable as Madonna's Blond Ambition, Virgin, or Girlie Show tours. Those were highly conceptual and even if sometimes, Madonna's voice cracked or got hoarse, you never felt cheated because they were all a spectacular extravaganza.<br />
</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-34457193927832573162010-10-07T07:13:00.000-07:002010-10-07T07:17:47.664-07:00High estrogen levels impact brain: study<span style="font-style:italic;">Studies like the one below make me frustrated about the status of transgender health in the Philippine. It does give me reason to want to keep advocating for medical practitioners to study the health care needs of those who want to affirm their gender through hormonal and surgical means. </span><br /><br />Agence France-Presse<br /><br />MONTREAL - High estrogen levels in women while they are ovulating may be directly responsible for sluggishness or problems concentrating, a Canadian study released Friday has found.<br /><br />Researchers at Concordia University's Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology in Montreal linked high estrogen levels in laboratory rats to an inability to pay attention and learn.<br /><br />These high levels have also been shown to interfere with women’s ability to pay attention, but the study, to be published in the journal Brain and Cognition, is the first to show "how this impediment can be due to a direct effect of the hormone on mature brain structures," said a statement.<br /><br />Both humans and rodents have similar brain physiology.<br /><br />"Although estrogen is known to play a significant role in learning and memory, there has been no clear consensus on its effect," said study lead author Wayne Brake.<br /><br />"Our findings ... show conclusively that high estrogen levels inhibit the cognitive ability in female rodents."<br />Researchers repeatedly exposed rats to a tone, with no consequences.<br />Once they became used to it and ignored it, another stimulus was linked to the tone.<br /><br />Rats with low levels of estrogen quickly learned that the tone was associated with the new stimulus whereas those with higher levels of estrogen took longer to form this memory.<br /><br />"We only observed this effect in adult female rats," Brake said. "This and our other findings indicate that estrogen directly affects the brain, perhaps by interfering with brain signaling molecules."<br /><br />The next step, he said, will be to determine how this occurs.PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-77851983883868566082010-10-05T04:05:00.000-07:002010-10-05T04:37:10.670-07:00W cannot marryA decision on a case that I have been tensely monitoring from Manila has finally come out and sadly the outcome is most unfortunate. You will remember W, the transwoman from Hong Kong who in August filed a petition so she could marry her long-time boyfriend. Because Hong Kong law does not allow changing the sex in birth certificates, W's potential marriage to her partner would be considered same-sex marriage, which is also not allowed in Hong Kong. You can read more <a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/10/05/hong-kong-trans-woman-barred-from-marrying-boyfriend/">here</a>. <br /><br />The High Court where she lodged her petition has finally come out with a decision that disallows her from marrying. In the decision, the High Court essentially washes its hands off the responsibility to decide whether transpeople in Hong Kong can marry or not. The High Court leaves it up to the legislature to decide. <br /><br />I can see shades of the infamous Silverio decision here. Mely Silverio is an accomplished transpinay who 3 years ago petitioned our Supreme Court (SC) for a change of name and sex in her birth certificate. An amended Clerical Error Law passed in 2002 which disallows changing any Filipino's sex in his or her birth certificate led to the SC to deny Mely's petition and left it to Philippine congress to decide on the matter of birth certificate sex-changes involving transsexual Filipinos. <br /><br />The irony in the Hong Kong high court's decision is that W can actually marry a woman and socially it will be a same-sex marriage. And so presently, even if Hong Kong law does not allow such, it can actually happen if one spouse is transsexual. The High Court dismisses this particular reality and the bigger reality of the existence of transpeople. I think this is a good opportunity for the global transcommunity to give the Hong Kong High Court a highly deserved rude awakening.PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-54345475277770400202010-09-18T17:05:00.000-07:002013-09-21T21:02:05.656-07:00Thank you UNO Magazine!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I woke up this morning and pleasantly discovered that <a href="http://www.unomagazine.com.ph/">UNO Magazine Philippines</a>, a men's magazine that has given the Pinoy version of FHM here a run for its money for its quality content and groundbreaking art and features, finally put up the article featuring me<a href="http://www.tsphilippines.com/"></a>. You can see the article <a href="http://www.unomagazine.com.ph/2010/09/and-man-created-woman/?ref=nf">here</a>.<br />
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Thank you UNO Magazine Philippines for your courage to write about Filipino transgender women! We will be forever grateful!</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-81702651344952531272010-09-17T09:47:00.000-07:002013-09-21T21:01:16.662-07:00EDUC8, LIBER8, CELEBR8: The 8-Campus Rainbow Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=campustourbanner_02-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/campustourbanner_02-1.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">I am happy to announce the start of EDUC8, LIBER8, CELEBR8: The 8-Campus Rainbow Tour, a free symposium on LGBT human rights (see poster above). It will have its first stop at the College of Saint Benilde (CSB) on 29 September 2010. Below is a write-up of this historical initiative.</span><br />
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TrueColors Publishing Inc., the makers of <a href="http://www.ketchupmag.com/home.html">Ketchup Magazine</a>, the only Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) magazine in the Philippines in keeping with its thrust to promote social awareness of LGBT issues, proudly presents Educ8, Liber8, Celebr8: The 8-Campus Rainbow Tour. <br />
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This Rainbow Tour brings together noted leaders of the LGBT community to conduct a free symposium targeting students in 8 colleges and universities in the Metro Manila area in an 8-month period from September 2010 to April 2011. <br />
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The symposium, which covers various issues including LGBT Politics, Spirituality and Sexuality, Gender Identity and Human Rights & Media Activism, is designed as a “crash course” on human rights and the Filipino LGBT community, their needs and concerns and the advocacy work they carry out in their pursuit of equality and dignity. <br />
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The symposium seeks to provide a venue where students can:<br />
a) deepen their understanding of the human rights issues facing the LGBT community in the Philippines (EDUC8)<br />
b) free themselves from damaging, stereotypical and incorrect notions about LGBT people & culture (LIBER8)<br />
c) and affirm & respect the inherent dignity of all human beings including themselves (CELEBR8)<br />
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By hosting this symposium, colleges and universities bring themselves on par with leading higher education institutions in the world that advance human rights education. They also affirm their role as bastions of a truly international, liberal and liberative education by giving their students an opportunity to critically engage with pressing issues confronting civil society. As well, they take part in a change-making project to promote greater social equality and equity. The symposium also provides students, faculty and staff a venue to explore research ideas and interests. <br />
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The 8-Campus Rainbow Tour is organized by TrueColors Publishing in collaboration with 4 leading LGBT organizations. Speakers include representatives of Ang Ladlad Partylist, Metropolitan Community Church Quezon City (MCCQC), Vic Alba of Ketchup Magazine and Ms Naomi Fontanos.</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-53700524337072300192010-09-15T05:58:00.000-07:002010-09-15T06:05:42.751-07:00Two transgender women found murdered in Puerto Rico<span style="font-style:italic;">Below is an alert from Daryl Hannah, <a href="http://www.glaad.org">GLAAD</a>'s Media Field Strategist. For more information, visit GLAAD's <a href="http://glaadblog.org/">blog</a> here.</span><br /><br />13 September 2010<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Two Transgender Women Found Murdered in Puerto Rico</span><br /><br />Two transgender women were found murdered in Puerto Rico on Monday, reports El Nuevo Dia. According to the media outlet, local police discovered the bodies of two individuals “dressed in women’s clothes” along Highway 512 in Juana Diaz with bullet wounds to the head.<br /><br />Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian task Force urged the Puerto Rican authorities to investigate the deaths as hate crimes, according to Edge.<br /><br />In a statement Serrano said:<br />“At the very least it is probable that these crimes could have been motivated by prejudice based on the victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity.” He added “the authorities have an obligation under the law to investigate this hate angle.”<br /><br />Serrano said “We urge the police and the prosecutor to appropriately and quickly investigate this double murder and to classify them… as hate crimes if they discover enough evidence to determine it was motivated by prejudice.”<br /><br />The murder of these two women is the latest in a rash of anti-LGBT murders happening on the island. Since 2002, more than 25 gay or transgender individuals have been murdered. Among these were: Ashley Santiago Oscasio, who was stabbed to death in her home in April, and Jorge Steve Lopez Mercado who was stabbed, decapitated, dismembered and partially burned late last year.<br /><br />Two months ago, the New York City Council, which represents the largest Puerto Rican constituency in the Continental US, declared July 13th the “Day Against Homophobia” in direct response to the anti-gay and transgender murders in Puerto Rico.<br /><br />GLAAD is working to elevate these stories to a national platform as well as monitor the coverage.<br /><br />http://glaadblog.org/2010/09/13/two-transgender-women-found-murdered-in-puerto-rico/PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-18591261274546403462010-09-11T17:47:00.000-07:002010-09-11T19:31:23.341-07:00Meet Kayo Sato<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view¤t=KayoSatoh.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/KayoSatoh.jpg" border="0" alt="Kayo Satoh"></a><br /><br />Some parts of the interweb have been fired up recently with discussions about Kayo Sato (see pic above). Also known as Kayo Police, she is said to be a well-known celebrity, model and host of a video game show in Japan. According to various accounts, she recently admitted on national TV that she was in fact a "man" and that she said so again on her very popular <a href="http://ameblo.jp/pixy-kayo/">blog</a>. <br /><br />The 22 year old supposedly came out after persistent rumors about her gender. Many predict that she will become even more popular now that she has come out. Although some web sites have chosen to use male pronouns to talk about her, most comments about her recent revelation have been encouraging and respectful. You can read more info <a href="http://www.tokyohive.com/2010/09/kayo-sato-reveals-her-true-self/">here</a>.<br /><br />Well what can I say, she looks amazing! Sato San wa utsukushii desu yo! Ki o tsukete kudasai! Ganbatte kudasai ne!PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-65767488434715564342010-09-11T03:17:00.000-07:002010-09-11T03:46:11.447-07:00Honduran transwoman gets justice<span style="font-style:italic;">Below is a media release from <a href="http://www.hrw.org">Human Rights Watch</a> regarding the case of Nohelia, a Honduran transwoman who was stabbed repeatedly by a policeman, Amado Rodriguez Borjas, two years ago. Nohelia survived although she carries scars from the brutal stabbing. A lot of transwomen in Honduras have suffered from macho violence and many of them have ended up in the list of those honored during the <a href="http://www.transgenderdor.org">International Transgender Day of Remembrance</a>. I am glad that at least Nohelia has won her case. I am not sure though if she is sufficiently protected from any kind of retaliation from Borjas and his ilk. Let us hope for the best. To my Honduran sisters: Teneis que ser fuerte y ayudarse unas a otras! Vamos a continuar la lucha contra la transfobia!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Honduras: Police Officer Sentenced for Stabbing Transgender Sex Worker<br />Rare Conviction Despite Intimidation a Victory for Justice<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />(Tegucigalpa, September 10, 2010) – The conviction of an off-duty police officer for a stabbing attack on a transgender woman is a major victory for justice and equal rights in Honduras, Human Rights Watch and Red Lésbica Cattrachas, a Honduran lesbian rights organization, said today. The two organizations attended the trial as observers.<br /><br />On September 9, 2010, a three-judge bench sentenced the police officer, Amado Rodriguez Borjas, to 10 to 13 years in prison for his role in the attack. Nohelia, the transgender woman, was abducted and stabbed 17 times on December 18, 2008. It is the first conviction of a police officer in Honduras since 2003 for a crime against a transgender person, even though police abuse is common.<br /><br />“This was a crime fueled by hate, as the 17 stab wounds attest,” said Juliana Cano Nieto, researcher in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch. “It is a testament to the integrity and courage of all involved with the case that they advanced the cause of justice notwithstanding the threats and intimidation.”<br /><br />The case was fraught with acts of intimidation, with police, a witness, and prosecutors as well as Nohelia threatened by anonymous attackers and callers. On March 21, unknown men kidnapped Nohelia and threatened to kill her if she continued with the case. She was shot in the arm in the ensuing struggle with the kidnappers but managed to escape.<br /><br />A witness for the prosecution and police in charge of the investigation received anonymous threats. As a result, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights extended protection measures to Nohelia, the police officers, and prosecutors.<br /><br />Attacks on transgender people – often targeted because their looks and demeanor challenge prevailing sex-role stereotypes – are commonplace in Honduras.Nearly every transgender person who Human Rights Watch interviewed during research in Honduras in 2008 and 2009 spoke of harassment, beatings, and-ill treatment at the hands of police. The most recent killing took place on August 30. Two men in a motorcycle shot and killed Imperia Gamaniel Parson, a trangender sex worker in San Pedro Sula and member of the Colectivo Unidad Rosa.<br /><br />Bias-motivated attacks on transgender people by private individuals are endemic. At least 19 transgender persons have been killed in public places in Honduras since 2004; many more have been injured in beatings, stabbings, or shootings.<br /><br />These attacks rarely lead to an investigation or prosecution in Honduras.<br /><br />“The larger question is whether this trial will be followed by the prosecution of other individuals who commit hate crimes against the transgender, lesbian, gay, and bisexual people,” Cano Nieto said.<br /><br />The fact that the court’s judgment did not address discrimination even though the prosecution presented evidence of homophobia and transphobia as motives for the attack was a weakness in the outcome of the Borjas case, Human Rights Watch said. Nor did the court accept prosecutors’ arguments that the sentence should be increased because of homophobic bias.<br /><br />In addition, most court personnel treated Nohelia and a transgender witness with seeming disdain; only the prosecutor and one of the three judges referred to them by their chosen pronoun.<br /><br />“The court should be applauded for finding that a serious crime had been committed, but we look to the day when the courts understand the full measure of hatred behind the crime,” said Indyra Mendoza, director of Red Lésbica Cattrachas. “We still have a long way to go to ensure that the justice system understands and properly addresses sexual orientation and gender identity.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Background</span><br />On the night of December 17, 2008, Nohelia, a sex worker in Tegulcigalpa, refused to have sex with Borjas. The next evening, he returned by car with two other men. Based on evidence presented at the trial, Borjas stabbed her in the neck when she approached the car, not knowing who was inside. The men then dragged her into the car and drove to the outskirts of the capital, where Borjas stabbed her on her arms, back, and front of her body.<br /><br />She managed to escape through the car window, and a passerby later picked her up and took her to a hospital. Nohelia has a permanent scar on her throat and several others on her arms.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">For more Human Rights Watch reporting on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights, please visit</span>: http://www.hrw.org/lgbt<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">For more information, please contact:</span><br />In New York, Juliana Cano Nieto (English, Spanish): +1-212-216-1233; +1-646-407-0020 (mobile)<br />In Tegucigalpa, Indyra Mendoza (Spanish): + 504-9486-7865 (mobile)PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-9511788499100654162010-08-28T23:25:00.000-07:002013-09-26T05:33:39.573-07:00Tragedia y triunfo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday in Spanish class everybody talked about the twin events that touched the nation in the week that just passed--one a tragedy, another, a triumph. In Spanish, they translate literally into <span style="font-style: italic;">tragedia y triunfo</span>. <br />
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The tragic moment that I am talking about here is the hostage-taking that happened on Monday when a policeman, Leonardo Mendoza, 55 years old, who claimed to have been wrongfully sacked from his job hitched a ride with a bus full of tourists from Hong Kong and declared that he was taking them hostage. Mendoza wanted to be reinstated as a police officer and had hoped that by taking people hostage, authorities would actually review his case and take him back into the force. He was fired after being accused of extortion. <br />
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I was busy the whole of Monday and only got to see the latter part of the hostage taking when I switched on the TV at around 8 pm. I did not even have a clue that, in fact, the whole drama started at 10 that morning. I have seen too many hostage-taking on TV in the past here and the fact that nobody was controlling the media at that point gave me a sense of foreboding. <br />
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Once I saw a man take a child hostage in a bus terminal. I do not exactly remember his reasons for seizing the child. But police responded and the media flocked around him. The whole ordeal unfolded on live TV. There was a crowd around the man who held the child in a grip with a knife to the child's throat. So many people were talking to him--bystanders, policemen, media people. It was horrible to watch. It felt like watching something terrible happen without doing anything about it. <br />
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The whole scene was so chaotic and was made even more so by the TV crews wielding their flashy cameras around. The hostage-taker moved around holding the child in a choke-hold with his arm. The child kept crying and the crowd kept screaming at the man. All of a sudden, the man started stabbing the child in front of everyone. Only then did the police start to shoot at the hostage taker and in the process shot the boy as well. It was the most heartbreaking thing to see. My insides turned as I watched the TV.<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Hostagedrama.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Police seize the tourist bus" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Hostagedrama.jpg" /></a><br />
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That queasy feeling was dredged up again Monday night when I saw the police closing in on the bus (see pic above). I love my country and am a very proud Filipino but at the back of my head I had an inkling that the Manila police sent an inexperienced team. For one, they had many chances to neutralize Mendoza. They could have controlled the media first and ordered them off the scene and they could have negotiated with him to release more hostages. What happened instead was a nightmare that was broadcast all over the world--the police doing a botched up job and 9 hostages ending up dead. It was too horrible for words. <br />
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Even when it ended, it left one with a very heavy feeling. I could not take any more of it and switched the TV off. It was one of those things that one would normally wish away but could not. The images were just too raw and too vividly etched in your head.So I found it very ironic that the next day, the nation woke up excitedly to watch a beauty pageant. Somehow though I was thankful for the respite it offered from the melodramatic spectacle of the night before. <br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=MariaVenusRaj.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Maria Venus Raj" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/MariaVenusRaj.jpg" /></a><br />
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I am so proud that Miss Philippines Maria Venus Raj (see pic above) clinched a spot in the final five of the Miss Universe 2010 and showed the world the beauty, elegance and grace of a Filipina. Venus was an early favorite and back home we knew that the Miss Universe 2010 was truly an epic battle between her and Miss Mexico. Interestingly, both nations are former Spanish colonies. <br />
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When I saw Miss Mexico the first time, I predicted that she would win it not unless our beauty wiped her out with a universe-conquering answer to her final question. Alas in the end, my prediction was proven right. Venus got a tricky one and answered it in the only way she knew how. Although there has been global or dare I say it, <span style="font-style: italic;">major, major</span> ballyhoo over her answer, I think that at 22 and being Miss Universe 2010 4th runner up, she has made a great achievement. <br />
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I particularly relish the fact the she hails from the same area where I grew up in as a child, the Bicol Region. It was a proud moment for me to see her profile on live TV that announced to the world that her home town was the Bicol Region. I believe that she is the first Bicolana to have ever made it this far in the Miss Universe and she deserves all the success, fame and fortune that this achievement should bring. <br />
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It was also of particular note to me that she looked darker than Miss Jamaica, another runner-up. I just love the fact that Maria Venus Raj has the potential to change the standard look of Filipina beauty queens. I hope to meet her one day soon so I can hug her and congratulate her for truly representing us well. I wish modeling agencies abroad would pluck her up because she is actually supermodel material. She is as tall as Naomi Campbell and as exquisitely beautiful. If not modeling, then I hope that she can actually conquer Hollywood. It is time for a Filipina of her looks to wow the world. She should be the beauty queen version of Charice! Hey Oprah and Ellen, please have Venus in your shows so doors will open for her. This impoverished lass truly deserves more in life. <br />
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Mabuhay ka Venus! Malamong gayon (you are so beautiful) and I am so proud of you!</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-42652401422950060262010-08-28T06:09:00.000-07:002010-08-28T06:13:09.734-07:00For BBD<span style="font-weight:bold;">SONNET 43 </span>from Sonnets from the Portuguese<br />by Elizabeth Barrett Browning<br /><br />How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.<br />I love thee to the depth and breadth and height<br />My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight<br />For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.<br />I love thee to the level of everyday’s<br />Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.<br />I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;<br />I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.<br />I love thee with the passion put to use<br />In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.<br />I love thee with a love I seemed to lose<br />With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,<br />Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,<br />I shall but love thee better after death.PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-43857226444874475342010-07-30T08:45:00.000-07:002010-07-31T20:40:08.827-07:00Bodies electric<span style="font-style:italic;">The beauty of the waist, and thence of the hips, and thence downward<br /> toward the knees,<br />The thin red jellies within you or within me, the bones and the<br /> marrow in the bones,<br />The exquisite realization of health;<br />O I say these are not the parts and poems of the body only, but of<br /> the soul,<br />O I say now these are the soul!</span><br /> --I Sing the Body Electric, Walt Whitman<br /><br /><a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view¤t=LeaTII.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/LeaTII.jpg" border="0" alt="Lea T Face"></a><br /><br />Last May, stories started circulating about <a href="http://www.givenchy.com">Givenchy</a> employing a transsexual model for its fall campaign. The said model was revealed to be Lea T (in the pic above) who is currently generating a lot of internet buzz for her appearance in the August 2010 edition of French <a href="http://www.vogue.fr">Vogue</a>. <br /><br />Lea is Brazilian and is managed by <a href="http://www.womenmanagement.com">WomenManagement</a>. She used to work for Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci as his personal assistant and fitting model and is now being touted as Tisci's muse for embodying the androgyny that Givenchy is supposedly known for. <br /><a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view¤t=Leacensored.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Leacensored.jpg" border="0" alt="Lea T censored"></a><br /><br />I do not know about you, but Lea T does not look androgynous to me. She looks all woman. This PR spin is just part of the media blitz for Givenchy. It along with her French Vogue profile (see above) which shows her naked has managed to catapult her to the world's attention. I love the bold approach--no pun intended--that Lea T is taking to steer her new-found career as a fashion model. I hope that her story will be used to show the world the beauty and diversity of transsexual bodies, human bodies. I am sure that it will inspire a lot of transphobia as well. Already, news stories are coming out that Lea T is getting ready for genital reconstruction surgery (GRS) as if to assure the public that her body in French Vogue is just temporary, an invalid body to be in. <br /><br /><a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view¤t=TomBeattie2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/TomBeattie2.jpg" border="0" alt="Thomas Beatie 2"></a><br /><br />This reminds me of the backlash that Thomas Beatie, the pregnant transman, (see pic above) received when he started using the media for his "bodily" outing as well. <br />But there are millions of transpeople like Thomas Beatie and Lea T and it is time for the world to get used to human bodies like theirs. <br /><br /><a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view¤t=TomBeattie1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/TomBeattie1.jpg" border="0" alt="Thomas Beatie 1"></a><br /><br />One of the reasons why I cheered Thomas Beatie was because of the powerful images he showed the world that have never been seen before. I especially find unforgettable the pic of him above. As sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) advocates, sensitizing society to the idea of sexual and gender diversity means sensitizing them to the idea of bodily integrity as well--the idea that our bodies belong to us and that only we have the right to make choices for and about our bodies including choices on who to have sexual relations with and reshaping our bodies in accordance with the gender we see ourselves as. I hope that Lea T's French Vogue story will be used to drive home the very idea behind this fundamental human right.PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519499005722031020.post-76536158524818883112010-07-29T07:41:00.000-07:002013-09-26T05:41:03.791-07:00Merry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=childcraft.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Childcraft" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/childcraft.jpg" /></a><br />
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Yesterday I was walking around the mall when I saw a carousel. I have never ridden one in my life although I have always been fascinated by the merry-go-rounds I saw in the pages of the old Childcraft encyclopedia (see pic above) my family had when I was growing up. Needless to say, I felt like an over-eager kid!<br />
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<a href="http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/?action=view&current=Onhorse.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="On horse" border="0" src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/diabolllique_photo/Onhorse.jpg" /></a><br />
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I bought a ticket and immediately mounted a pony. It was so much! I do not think that that would be my last carousel ride. Here's looking forward to more fun and games soon!</div>
PinayTGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04484846494995110009noreply@blogger.com1