12 LGBTQ Filipinos Who Make Us PROUD
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Pride Month 2018 may have come and gone, but we are spreading the love year-round here at Kubo.
Scroll down to see 12 LGBTQ Filipinos who make us burst with pride and give us life! Don’t forget to hit that Follow button to fill your IG feed with this goodness.
Vice Ganda
Vice Ganda is a multi-talented force of nature and the reigning LGBTQ king of media. He’s a comedian, show host, singer, and film star. He starred in three of the highest grossing films in the Philippines, all of which have made over 500 million pesos, including: Super Parental Guardians, Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad, and Beauty and the Bestie.
Bretman Rock
At 19 years old, Bretman Rock is the quintessential fearless leader of the new social media generation. He was destined to be a star, while his beauty and personality are adored by millions. Whether his early ratchet videos made you laugh your ass off or you are inspired by his distinctly glamorous looks, his future is looking hella bright.
Jake Zyrus
Jake’s voice could still be considered one of the vocal wonders of the world. Here’s proof. When Jake first appeared on the Oprah show with David Foster, we knew a legend had been found, and a Filipino one at that! Since coming out as transgender in June 2017, fans continued to show their support. Now we all eagerly anticipate Jake’s upcoming album. Where’s it at, Jake?!
Manila Luzon
Manila Luzon is more than the runner-up from the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Manila is the ate we all deserve. She’s one of the few queens from earlier seasons to increase her profile throughout her career and remain adored throughout the world. Here’s to you queen!
Jose Antonio Vargas
Jose is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, filmmaker, and immigration rights champion. Our very own team member, Nikko, personally met Jose at LegCon 2013 in Washington D.C. During this Legislative Conference held by the United States Student Association, college students learn how to organize, lobby, and become involved in politics at the grassroots level. Jose shared his story as an undocumented child from the Philippines who was brought to the states by his uncle as a promise to his mother for a better life. He is the founder of Define American, a non-profit organization that creates a dialogue to challenge us about who is American. He also directed the film “White People” which aired on MTV.
Anthony Ocampo, Ph.D.
Dr. Ocampo is a sociologist, author of “The Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of Race,” and professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His book has been featured on NPR and Remezcla and is available in all major book retailers. Grab a copy and get to reading!
Leyna Bloom
Leyna is an up and coming mixed race transgender model. With a Filipina mother and an African American father, Leyna’s stunning beauty transcends the basic constructs of gender. She was featured in Teen Vogue with the headline: “Leyna Bloom Wants to Be the First Trans Woman of Color on the Victoria’s Secret Runway.” Her beauty is intriguing and unique and we want to see more of her! Are you listening, Victoria’s Secret??
Angelia Trinidad
Angelia Trinidad is the founder of Passion Planner, the personal organizer that helps you identify your goals and work toward them every day. She dropped the following wisdom: “In my mind, to be a millionaire is to not have a million dollars, it is to have helped a million people. By that definition, I have become a millionaire.” A self-described meditating millennial, Angelia embodies both definitions of millionaire.
Samantha Lee
Samantha Lee is a filmmaker who wrote and directed a film about queer female representation called “Baka Bukas.” In her feature with Nylon magazine, Lee described her motivation for creating the film: “I wanted to show a different side of what it’s like to be gay in the Philippines. I wanted to make something that would have made a younger me more comfortable with who she was.”
Jodinand Aguillon
Jodinand Aguillon is the executive director of Pineapple Lab, located in Makati, Manila. This is a “creative art space and gallery dedicated to finding innovative ways to showcase the works of Filipino art makers, international artists, and collaborators.” It is perhaps the most influential arts and culture hub in Manila and a revolutionary space for Filipino creators to push the boundaries of art and expression in the Philippines. Jodinand is also the main showman and producer of Fringe Manila, the largest multi-arts festival in Metro Manila.
Geena Rocero
Geena Rocero is a transgender Fil-Am supermodel, TED talk speaker, and trans rights advocate. In 2016, she and Tracey Norman became the first two openly transgender models to appear on the cover of an edition of Harper’s Bazaar. Her widely celebrated, motivational TED talk “Why I Must Come Out” racked up over 3.25 million views.
Jay Som
Jay Som is an LA-based singer who describes her music as “bedroom pop.” She released her debut album, “Everybody Works,” in March 2017 and received critical acclaim. She holds sole writing credit on the entire album, which has made its way to many “Best Of” lists by music critics, including Rolling Stone, Billboard Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly. Keep making those bedroom bops!
Know of more LGBTQ Filipinos we should highlight? Email us at wearekubo@gmail.com
