Got a tip? Send it to us at manila@coconuts.co.
We suggest people listen to this episode of BBC Outlook to get a clear idea of the struggle that every Filipino homosexual goes through.
BBC radio recently featured Filipina transwoman Maki Gingoyan on its Outlook program, where she talked about being a gay boy surrounded by macho uncles, her love for the Spice Girls, getting caught wearing heels, and finally becoming a beauty queen.
The Outlook show, in case you didn’t know, tells true life stories from around the world.
“I was with my mom the whole time. I grew up watching her doing feminine stuff. I wanted to wear a skirt. I wanted to have long hair and tie it. That’s what I knew but I know I can’t because I was born with a male genitalia,” Maki begins.
Hearing her voice is a powerful little thing and hearing her narrate her story, sans dramatic background music, becomes an even more powerful thing.
The episode provides an honest, intimate look to every Filipino homosexual’s struggles in a conservative country such as ours.
“I had depression at grade 3,” Maki continues, saying that it was hearing her mother telling her that she won’t ever see her again if Maki continues with his gay thing.
Don’t worry — it doesn’t end in heartbreak. In fact, it ends in a hopeful tone with Maki finally getting accepted by her mother, finding love, and building a dating website for transgender women like her.
Anyway, enough of the talk. Go listen!
Photo: Screengrab of BBC Outlook landing page
Done reading? Sit back, relax and watch Coconuts TV:
