“Despite the ubiquity of government-organized trans pageants in the Philippines, trans people themselves are not politically recognized. We are culturally visible but legally erased. To this day, trans Filipinas have M gender markers on their documents and cannot change their names in court. We don't have robust antidiscrimination protections. No amount of pageant glory can make up for the fact that our government still doesn't see and treat trans people as full citizens able to participate in society as we truly are. In a country of over 100 million people, only a few dozen certified endocrinologists offer gender-affirming care. Growing up, I relied on other trans people to find hormones, figuring out the right dosages through hearsay, transitioning entirely without proper medical supervision. There was no other choice back then - and for many today, DIY is still the only option. My community is littered with stories of injections gone horribly wrong. Even worse, when someone dies from an overdose or an unsupervised medical treatment, it's shrugged off as a sad fact of life. 'That's what happens,' the emergency techs will say, our lives stripped of value by the very institutions that ought to care for us. I will never forget when one of my Garcia clan sisters succumbed to death from a botched medical procedure, a victim of all the intersecting forces trans Filipinas have to navigate to get treatment.” TransgenderLgbtqiaTransgender IssuesTransphobia Book:Horse Barbie Source: Horse Barbie
“Human dignity should be without borders.” ShouldHumansDignityBordersHuman Dignity Author:Geena Rocero
“We should allow them to be who they are, because then we end up with healthy kids.” ShouldEndsKidsHealthyHealthy Kids Author:Geena Rocero
“When I moved to the United States [from Asia] in 2001, I experienced a more rigid concept of gender, but somehow I was allowed to change my name and my gender marker. Why is there that paradox? How do I get those two things to be the same?” TwoStatesNamesInspiringUnitedUnited StatesConceptsMovedGenderTwo ThingsParadoxThought ProvokingProvokingAsiaMarkers Author:Geena Rocero
“The world makes you something that you’re not - but you know inside what you are.” KnowsWorld Author:Geena Rocero
“I was assigned boy at birth but I have always known I was a girl.” GirlKnownBoysBirth Author:Geena Rocero
“Gender has always been considered a fact immutable. But we now know it's actually more fluid, complex, and mysterious. Because of my success, I never have the courage to share my story. Not because I thought what I am is wrong but because of how the world treats those of us who wish to break free.” KnowsWorldFactsStoriesWishBreakShareTreatsComplexesGenderMysteriousComplexityTransgenderFluidBreaking Free Author:Geena Rocero
