We Filipinos love celebrating local icons. Whether it’s our favorite teleserye actors or divas belting out OPM karaoke classics, we love feeling connected to celebrities. What we don’t realize, however, is that what may be a simple form of admiration to some of us may be a way for others to embrace their own identity. 

Despite being named as one of the most gay-friendly countries in Asia, the Philippines continues to grapple with the great divide on LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. This strengthens the call for queer liberation and more progressive representation. The fight for the LGBTQ+ community is a collective effort from individuals, and organizations, to influential queer artists, whose influence and efforts help normalize diverse experiences across mainstream media, giving the community a sense of belonging. From art, business, media, or any other various industries, there are numerous personalities who we look up to for their courage in proudly expressing their identities. 

We’ve witnessed queer individuals make a stand and leave a remarkable impact on the community’s representation, leading us to the LGBTQ+ presence we have today. Vice Ganda, one of the country’s leading box office stars and arguably our most influential noontime show host, for instance, was first fondly admired for her minor roles in teleseryes and movies before becoming the superstar she is today. Her success has not only broken barriers but also set a precedent for queer visibility in the entertainment industry. The LGBTQ+ awareness in the media continues to grow and the established names in the industry now recognize the importance of their platforms in inspiring a wider audience. We see proud members of the community thrive in fields where they didn’t always feel welcome. Today, we see Jervi Wrightson, formerly known as KaladKaren, holding the line as the first transgender Philippine news anchor, and the first trans woman to win Best Supporting Actress in the first Summer Metro Manila Film Festival, inspiring all transwomen across the country. These personalities, among many others, play a crucial role in strengthening queer representation in mainstream media, as it helps open doors for others to break through even in male-dominated and often gender-stereotyped industries. 

We’re here and we’re queer. The influence of LGBTQ+ icons challenges normative ideas and creates more opportunities for the members of the community to find and freely express themselves. Witnessing queer icons confidently embrace their true identity in front of the camera positively affirms the self-identity of young queer individuals who have had to hide their true selves. With the increased visibility across different media and even in digital platforms, this allows for more queers to envision themselves to be worthy of the spotlight, too.

Becoming an inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community goes a long way. A role isn’t just a role, and a title isn’t just a title–these things signify a huge step towards acceptance and inclusivity. Just like everyone else, the LGBTQ+ community has rich stories waiting to be told, with many queer individuals playing a key role in creating safe spaces where everyone can thrive. By showing determination and courage, the following professionals were able to succeed and continue to power through in their respective fields.

DR. JAIRUS CABAJAR, MD

Dr. Jairus Cabajar is a doctor of internal medicine who served as one of the frontliners during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spends most of his time advocating for an accessible healthcare system and actively discusses socio-political issues through his social media accounts.

With over 236,000 combined followers on his X and TikTok accounts, he uses his platforms to spark important conversations and raise awareness about the country’s social and healthcare issues. He also launched a segment on his Tiktok called Fast-Tok, where he discusses and educates his followers about trends, news, or health topics that can help Filipinos be rightfully informed. His passion for his medical profession extends to his advocacy that healthcare is a human right and should be affordable to everyone regardless of their socioeconomic status. He also participates in lectures and seminars where he can share more about this profession to help inspire young people planning to enter the same field.  His belief centers on empowering Filipinos through education, hoping to create a scholarship program for kids to help them achieve their dreams, just like he did. 

MIKEE VITUG, Flight Attendant

Mikee Vitug made history as she became one of the country’s first transgender women flight attendants of a local airline. Her success broke the boundaries of a traditionally conservative industry marking a milestone for herself and the whole transgender community.

Mikee is aware that opportunities like this don’t come easy for someone like her, considering the country remains conservative and unwelcoming to the transgender community. As harassment and discrimination remain prevalent in most workplaces, transwomen often feel discouraged when pursuing their ambitions, pushing them to suppress their identities for the sake of landing a job. She hopes her story can encourage companies and industries to become more inclusive and establish anti-discrimination policies. She knows the harsh realities trans women face every day, so she hopes that she’ll be able to inspire queer individuals not to let anything or anyone hinder their potential. She also believes that the power of education and raising LGBTQ+ awareness can help members of the community achieve their goals regardless of society’s expectations.

PANTHERA ARMA, Drag Artist and PWD Advocate

Panthera Arma is the country’s first hard-of-hearing (HoH) drag queen. Panthera grew up in a world of silence and it wasn’t until late 2017 when she first got her hearing aids that she started to recognize the noise and sounds around her. Despite being diagnosed with severe hearing loss, she persevered and set out to follow her dreams.

Panthera found a way to express herself through the art of drag. She was heavily inspired by watching drag queens on T.V. when she decided to start her drag journey but it didn’t become easy for her as a hard-of-hearing drag queen. She shares how the misconceptions about her condition are endless and how she’s often left out of conversations at times. Despite this, what matters most is working hard and proving to everyone that her disability is not a limitation in reaching her goals. She also continues to use her platform as a Manila Hearing Aid Ambassador to advocate for deaf awareness and inspire the members of the hard-of-hearing community. She hopes that she’ll be able to strengthen the acceptance of drag queens in the Philippines and defy the stigma against persons with disabilities, one performance at a time.

PETTE SHABU, Rapper and DJ

Pette Shabu is a trans rapper and DJ who has challenged the norms of the Filipino music industry since she started releasing music in 2022. Her self-produced and written songs reflect her fearless and rebellious energy, discussing social issues such as combatting stereotypes and dealing with discrimination.

Her aptly named debut album, SPRAK, is a clear form of resistance, navigating through her experiences and struggles as a trans musician. Her album weaves in experimental hip-hop and punk beats, accompanied by passionate lyricism reflecting stories of anger and encouraging listeners to confidently embrace their own identity. Living in a world where queer people are expected to suppress their feelings to safeguard their vulnerability, she chooses to live loudly–showing that like everyone else, they are human, too. She conveys a powerful statement by breaking through the conventional male-dominated hip-hop scene and defying shallow stereotypes against queer artists. Anyone who enters her world through her music will be introduced to an independent trans musician who is not afraid to own her truth. Through her music, she continues to carve a path in the local music scene, influencing and strengthening the existence of the growing community of queer artists in the country.

REYMART CERIN and VINCE AFRICA, Co-owners of Blocleaf Café

Reymart Cerin and Vince Africa opened the doors of Blocleaf Café way back in 2017. Located in Malate, Manila, their neighborhood café offers a warm and comforting space for everyone who wishes to visit or even just have a quick sip of coffee. But more than just offering their signature drinks, delicious meals, and tasty pastries, Blocleaf Café upholds a strong commitment to providing a queer-friendly space to the members of the community. 

Beyond promoting their business, Blocleaf also uses their Instagram to advocate for social issues such as the passing of the SOGIE Equality Bill and raising awareness for the community. From a small coffee shop along the streets of Malate, Blocleaf Café extends its space to everyone by offering a welcoming community where everyone can feel safe. 

The stories of these remarkable individuals reflect the strength of the LGBTQ+ community by defying societal expectations. They are able to allow more people to have a wider perspective on one’s sexuality, and how it does not determine what one can and can’t do. They continue to show how they can play an instrumental role in promoting an inclusive environment, encouraging individuals to excel in any industry they choose to be a part of. 

Seeing the bigger picture. For a time, people have boxed queers into limited narratives – being the parloristas, the gay best friend, or the main lead’s funny sidekick. Even at present, we don’t usually get to see queer characters get their own storyline. As we celebrate the breakthrough of queer individuals in unconventional fields, we also welcome more progressive themes that can help redefine the norm.  

The impact of inclusive representation in various fields affirms the feeling of validation and being seen, especially for young inspiring queers. It also allows for a deeper understanding of the community’s struggles and how we can use the power of storytelling to inspire more people to take action. Moreover, pushing for representation and visibility encourages important discussions that give us the opportunity to help build a long-lasting impact on the entire community. 

Towards a more inclusive future. From allies to established icons, we hold significant influence in amplifying the voices of the community by engaging in conversations that can shed light on important LGTBQ+ issues. We can further educate others about advocacies and causes that can help build a more inclusive society.

• Safe Spaces Act or Republic Act No. 11313 penalizes any gender-based sexual harassment in the streets, public spaces, workplaces, and even online. This law prohibits any unwanted sexist, homophobic, and transphobic remarks directed towards an individual to provide protective measures and recognize the importance of building a safe space for everyone. 
• SOGIE Equality Bill penalizes any discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and many more. This bill recognizes the fundamental rights of the LGBT+ community to access public services, use of establishments and social services, employment, and healthcare, among many others–aiming to provide fair opportunities and take down any inequalities the community continues to face. Everyone can even take part in campaigning to pass this bill by signing the petition to help the LGBTQ+ community in their fight for equality.

Moving forward together. Representation is just one step forward towards a more empowered society for all. Small, but significant steps can be taken to utilize our platforms to raise LGBTQ+ awareness. All of us can play an active role in shaping a future where queer individuals can feel validated, heard, and celebrated. We, allies, along with the members of the community, can strive for LGBTQ+ representation and visibility to keep recognizing more diverse and rich experiences of the community by fostering safe spaces where young queers can fully embrace their potential. While we still have a long way to go, our goal should be to defy stereotypes and allow queer individuals to practice their creative freedom. From the arts, academe, businesses, government, sports, and a whole lot more, queer excellence will continue to thrive when everyone is given equal opportunities to harness their potential.

Words by Frances Umali, Jana Vergel de Dios

Art by Matthew Fetalver