Comelec is ‘stupid,’ says Boy Abunda

MANILA – Television host Boy Abunda has branded the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as “stupid” after the latter turned down the accreditation of “Ang Ladlad” due to “moral grounds.”

“Ang Ladlad” is an organization of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT).

Reports said Comelec rejected “Ang Ladlad” for party-list accreditation on the grounds that it advocates “sexual immorality” and “immoral doctrines.”

Abunda did not take this statement sitting down. Abunda lambasted the poll body for reportedly calling the group a “source of immorality.”

He said in his show “SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon:” “‘Yong sinabi ng Comelec na ‘Ang Ladlad’ is parang the source of immorality, sabi ni Mayor [Rodrigo] Duterte (of Davao City) ngayong araw (Tuesday) sa mga front page, it is bigotry of the highest order. Para sa akin, ‘yan ay isang katangahan.”

“Para sa akin, isang malinaw talaga na walang pang-unawa na tama [ang Comelec]. And you are a government agency, ‘yon lamang,” Abunda added.

Abunda’s co-host and close friend Kris Aquino also defended her gay friend.

“You are mean. And the gay people naman are taxpayers. So, what’s the problem?” Aquino said.

On November 11, the Comelec said although the party presented proper documents and evidence for their accreditation, its petition was “dismissable on moral grounds.”

Page 5 of its ruling states that “Ang Ladlad’s” definition of the LGBT as a marginalized sector “makes it crystal clear that the petitioner tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs.”

The document quotes passages from both the Bible and the Koran that describe homosexuality as “unseemly” or “transgressive.”

The Comelec also went on to state that accrediting “Ang Ladlad” would pose risks for Filipino youths.

“Ang Ladlad” also applied for party-list accreditation in 2007, but was denied due to the lack of regional membership in the Philippines.

In a previous phone interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak, “Ang Ladlad,” through its head Danton Remoto, said the group would contest the Comelec ruling before the Supreme Court.

Remoto, who taught literature at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University for over 20 years, criticized the Comelec’s allegation that older homosexuals are threats to the youth.

He also took issue against the Comelec ruling’s frequent citation of Internet-sourced reports, saying that a legal document should at least use primary sourcing. Remoto said this spoke of “intellectual bankruptcy” among Comelec officials.

Remoto said the Comelec ruling is offensive to the LGBT community and an insult to their human rights. -With a report from Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

Joker comes to defense of Ang Ladlad

Joker comes to defense of Ang Ladlad
By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated November 15, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Joker Arroyo came to the defense of Ang Ladlad, a gay organization whose petition for party-list status was junked by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on grounds of “immorality.”

Arroyo joined several organizations, including militant groups, in asking the Comelec to reconsider its decision.

“The Comelec’s 2nd Division acted out of bounds when it denied accreditation to Ang Ladlad’s bid to participate in the party-list elections on grounds of `immorality’ and for `being inimical to the interest of the youth,’” Arroyo said.

“The resolution reveals a deeply-entrenched prejudice against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders (LGBTs), the constituency of Ang Ladlad. So what if they are LGBTs? Precisely because of that, as a group which has been oppressed and marginalized in all spheres of their lives, they should be allowed to exercise their basic right to representation in the House of Representatives to protect and advance their interest, the very objective of party-list representation,” Arroyo added.

According to Arroyo, the Comelec’s mandate is to ensure clean and honest elections, not to vent their ire and prejudice against gays.

“All groups stand on equal footing to have party-list representation under the Constitution. The Comelec cannot, as their 2nd Division has done, discriminate against and whiplash gays, while they give party-list accreditation to cock fighters, etc.,” Arroyo said.

“The decision violates their human rights, is utterly bereft of legal basis, grounded as it was on blighted notions of moral standards, even as it invoked the Bible and the Koran,” the senator stressed.

The Second Division, composed of Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, refused to accredit the organization as a party-list group because their sexuality “tolerates immorality.”

Meantime, Migrante is poised to file a petition for temporary restraining order (TRO) before the Supreme Court next week if the Comelec fails to immediately resolve its motion for reconsideration of a resolution denying them a slot in the 2010 party-list polls.

Senator Loren Legarda’s Statement on the Disqualification of Ang Ladlad Party for the 2010 Elections

Ang Ladlad is grateful for the lady senator for her strong support to Ang LADLAD as a party-list and to the LGBT community as a whole.

Here is Sen. Loren Legarda message:
As citizen and Senator of the Republic, I question the recent rejection of Ang Ladlad Party to be a duly registered sectoral party by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) because of allegations of ‘immorality.’ The Comelec invoked passages from the Holy Bible and the sacred Qu’ran to justify their decision on Ang Ladlad’s petition for party registration.
The Republic of the Philippines is a secular state, and as such, we must ensure the clear separation of church and state in our civil and political affairs, as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution, Article II, Section 6. Invoking justifications from sacred texts should not stand in the way of our secular and liberal democratic principles and the rights for political representation of all well-meaning Filipino citizens.
Every Filipino, regardless of sexual orientation, can exercise the fundamental right to be represented in the country’s political affairs, including the right to run for public office as political parties and individuals, and to present their platform to the Filipino electorate. There should be no room for discrimination and bigotry against any group representing gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation from within the ranks of our government.
We are now at a historic time when nation after nation has begun to decisively dismantle the barriers of the past – such as those that denied groups and individuals from being rightfully considered as equals. Many of these barriers were premised on differences based on gender, race and sexual orientation. While more and more countries have been embracing deserving homosexuals as state leaders (e.g., Iceland), as ministers (e.g., France), and as regular members of their armed forces (e.g., USA), by its recent decision, our COMELEC is dangerously institutionalizing social exclusion and intolerance, and degrading a party like Ang Ladlad as political pariah.
A fair and honest election, fundamentally presupposes that every legal individual and party group aspiring for public office should be treated with respect, without bias, and with equality, irrespective of their religion, race, ethnicity, class and sexual orientation.

Ang Ladlad in Focus

Last Saturday, 22 August 2009, first year accounting students of De La Salle University (DLSU) Taft visited the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Loyola Schools and interviewed me about Ang Ladlad as a national organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Filipinos seeking accrediation as a party-list group at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and as well as the concepts and consciousness of LGBT identities and communities in society and in the Philippines.

This was a scheduled interview a week ago. I was elated and overwhelmed by the patience and research that these students of DLSU Taft had poured in order to fulfill a project about Ang Ladlad. The website of Ang Ladlad is undergoing some revisions and improvements at the moment and that made their search and exploration of materials and individuals to help assist an aid them in coming out with a material that is informative, balanced, and substantial. True enough during the interview, their questions about platforms, vision, and missions of Ang Ladlad were obvious but when I gave an orientation to the identities that composed of the LGBT community, I saw a more deeper and clearer understanding in their faces. The next questions were then geared towards Ang Ladlad’s plans and missions in shaping Philippine society in terms of gender and sexuality.

When they asked me to give my parting words, I simply told them: “Ang gusto lang ng bawat lesbiyana, bakla, bisekwal, at transgender ay makapamuhay ng may karapatang malaya, may dignidad, at makilala bilang bahagi ng sektor ng lipunang ginagalawan nating lahat. At kung sa bandang huli kami nga ay sadyang huhusgahan ng ating tagapaglikha, hayaan ninyo at haharapin namin ito ng may paninindigan.”
The interview was in filipino after all, so i hope, that in the end, the viewers of their project will have more sense of acceptance and support and not mere tolerance.

INTNAYO AGKIKITA DIAY BAGUIO! (Let’s meet in Baguio City)

ANG LADLAD PARTY-LIST (A National Organization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender FiliPINOS  invites our LGBT friends to a “PANAGTITIPON DIAY BAGUIO CITY (A gathering in Baguio City)”  on 27-28 June 2009.

Let us greet, meet, and talk about Ang Ladlad’s goals and vision as a party-list for LGBT filipinos and as well to other issues that beset the LGBT community. This is also our time to find a coordinator who will help Ang Ladlad in it’s membership drive and yogyakarta principles project (human rights for LGBTs).

It will be fun, informal and exciting. Let’s work together as one community for us all to be recognized and be given equal rights, not special rights. After all, we are part of this society and we contribute a lto to this society.

Intayo ngarun agtitipon into 27 wenno 28 ti June 2009 diay Baguio City. Tawagan dakami, wenno agipatulod kayo ti email no adda tiempo yo nga makita dakami ken makapatang.

Agyaman kami! Arya Cordillera! Arya LGBT filipinos ken Arya Ang Ladlad!

Bemz D. Benedito

               +6…       

Secretary, Ang ladlad

Transgender Representative, Ang Ladlad

Dexter Macaldo

Media, Publicity and Networking, Ang Ladlad

BLOWING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The catholic church and its leaders have been time and again facile and inconsiderable when in comes to the personalities and issues of the lebian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.

In the threshold oftheir own morality predicaments, frailties and lapses in judgements, they minced no words and rapidly pound the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. LGBT communities that carries most of its members to be also faithful and loyal servants of the catholic church. But their very own leaders tend to ignore the fact that the faces of the LGBT communities also transcends the view of God, after all, every one was created by Him alone and let Him be the only judge of who is immoral and moral. The issue of morality is one interlaced, convoluted and complicated matter in every aspect of it, if one has no disruptive views and only a clear sight and stable emotion. Moralists as they are often called, qualify and quantify morality though a set of norms, cultures, beliefs, patterns and systems that all originated from man and it is expected to always remain in the status quo. Society is evolving and communities are never homogenous through time. Change is the inevitable and consistent. Change and evolution of communities thrives because it is the only way to challenge our values and dignity as human beings. Status quo is better to be situated to values and dignity for it is the things that must not go through change and evolution. Values and dignity shapes the human life and it is in our lives and not our labels, words, preferences, orientations and identities that our religion and faith must be read.

The issue on gays and/or transgenders participation on the traditional Santa Cruzan have been unfairly reduced to sacredness, show of pageantry and grandeur, spirituality, and fund raising. I will not tackle the issue of fund raising because that particular area is an issue to the officials, coordinators and organizers of such events in their localities. However, it is by all means unnethical, cruel and unprincipled to proclaim that gays and/or transgenders are profane because of their mere gender identity, preference or orientation and more dismal to say that the primary agenda of these individuals is the spectacle. The church leaders have smashed any thing good or even a little devotion that these participants carried into their hearts when they decided to partake into the ritual. In my understanding, their efforts to array, formality and grandeur is their reverence and homage to the Blessed Virgin Mother, who in turn is the greatest example that they can cling on for admiration and prayer to guide and protect them from their transitioning of womanhood and for gays to assert acknowldegement for their presence. Both gay and transgenders take the extra mile to participate to these religious rituals in order to assert freedom and acceptance in society and to allow them to function as human beings performing their own roles and belief systems in a dignified society. Indeed, the true malice of a man appears in the state and the church who are supposed to gather its people in totalization and not in division with the boudaries and labels of right and wrong or moral and immoral. In addition, the ritual called Santa Cruzan is a portrayal of saints and the Blessed Virgin Mother, who all assumed holiness after some strings of imperfections and challenges before achieving the holy order. What makes the church decides that only the heterosexual women are capable and reputable to portray such devotion. I ask the catholic church or moralists to revisit and evaluate their guideposts again if it bears any logic at all.

The catholic church should discipline its ranks to be slow in their convictions and at the same token sharpen their emotion, sensibility and empathy. They must be affectionate, sensitive, and sympathetic to the oppressed and marginalized like the LGBT commuities, whose identities, pride, and dignity have been swiped and arrested for a long time. They should be preaching acceptance not tolerance; love not hatred; compassion and not denial; faith and not distrust; respect and not bigotry and; equality and not inequality. The catholic church should manifest a religion that embodies the love and wisdom that our creator had laid before us all. True religion is real living; living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness.

In the end, all that we must believe is the fact that there is only one God, and no more; and we all hope for happiness during and beyond this life. We must start to believe in the equality of humans; and we must start to believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy.

(I am a devout and practicing catholic and I was educated by catholic schools while into my transitioning as a transsexual woman. I respect my faith to the Father Almighty and I know that doing this is an act guided by HIM because I have the light when I was doing this. Lord bless the church to guide and love us all regardless of gender identity, orientation, preference; ethnicity; belief; race; color; and whatever other reasons that blinds our religion.)

BELOW IS AN ARTICLE ON GAYS ON SANTA CRUZAN:

MANILA, Philippines – Two Church officials have expressed distraught over reports of an increasing number of gays who participate in Santa Cruzan parades.

According to Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, homosexuals should give proper respect to the traditional religious parade.

In an interview with the Church-run Radio Veritas, Rosales said members of the third sex should avoid practicing “runaway devotion,” in which they show the pageantry and grandeur instead of the religious aspect of the event.

“Hindi mo na mailulong sa ispiritwalidad yung malalim na hiwaga, malalim na kabanalan ng birheng Maria, kung minsan nanaig ang karangyaan, yung pagapakitang tao, pagpapasikat, ito ang dapat na matulungan ng simbahan para yung ispiritwalidad, yung tunay na diwa ng debosyon sa Mahal na Birhen,” he said.

For his part, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs head, said gays should be barred from joining the traditional Santa Cruzan to preserve the sanctity of the practice.

“Bilang isang religious activity, ang ating pananaw ngayon ay hindi po dapat lalahukan ng mga bakla sa pagkat ang mga bakla ay parang isang bagay na abnormal sa ating sitwasyon at karaniwan pag merong mga paglahok nila ay ang pagtingin ng mga karamihan sa atin ay parang nababastos na gawin,” he said.

The bishop also said organizers and sponsors of Santa Cruzan should refrain from using tradition to raise fund.

“That’s not right. Ito ay isang paggamit ng isang bagay na sagrado para sa ating mga hindi sagradong layunin,” Iniguez noted. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

BABANG LUKSA (LETTING GO)

On 25 April 2009, Saturday, we would be having our Babang Luksa, which means to lay down or deposit our grief and sorrows to rest, as a sign of letting go to our beloved father to rest in eternity and find solace in his creator, God Almighty. But indubitably, it doesn’t happen exactly the way the meaning was expressed. Only time heals all wounds and there are certainly things that will never be the same again. I said so because for us, our Babang Luksa will just signify our compliance to old customs and traditions to let go of the symbolism of the materials or things that accompanied us during our immense moment of grief. We are letting go of our black clothes that we had used for the past nine (9) months. In the Ilocano traditions and rituals, like us in the Province of Abra, Philippines, if someone passed away, the immediate family must wear black clothes in their mourning to their time frame of choice, which is three (3) months, six (6) months or nine (9) months. It is believed that it must not lapsed on those preferred dates otherwise someone will follow. The other beliefs is that one must follow wearing the dress code for the alloted time or else a misfortune is about to happen. And of course, all clothes used must be given away or thrown so as not to duplicate the same sad fate. Definitely, these are traditions and customs and other don’t believe on it. But my family is a full-blooded Ilocano in the northern part of the Philippines and we were taught by our elders that we must obey than to be sorry in the end. In this modern age it may be difficult to believe but there is nothing to lose anyway if one must adhere to his/her own traditions and customs. Rituals as symbolism and materials are there as a sign of respect, honor and deep love even to our departed ones. Apart from the black clothes ritual we also offer mass, prepare food and gather together to reminisce the good old times of our loved one who passed away …and finally or should I say hopefully let go of our mourning.

I knew for a fact that letting go is easy because in my heart, I fully believe that my Dad “lived fully and generously” as his colleagues had said. Moreover, my beloved Papa is happy in Heaven now under the care of his creator, God Almighty. He loved life but I know that he must be enjoying where he is now for he is away from the many challenges and pains that life brings on earth. But the grief and sorrow, I must tell you, especially to those who haven’t experienced the loss that death brings is malady and agony that remains as a frequent visitor in the heart, where tears are only the consoling partner. Even with that idea, most often than not, I still ask a lot of questions and why such a tremendous pain came too soon in our family? Why did it happened to a very good man like Dad? Why did it happened with out me and my sister saying good bye to him? Is it going to be less of the pain if it was one of us his children? Did Dad surrendered his life because he is tired? So many questions and yet so little answers. However, I beam that my faith to God and his son Jesus has evolved to be strong like my Mom and siblings. I also humble myself to admit that in those times where melancholy dwells in us, the sudden comfort from nowhere comes from Him and that the purpose and answers to it all will come in His own time.

What’s more is it strains and torments me in greater proportion whenever my Mom is yearning for my Dad and his tears starts to slide on her cheeks again. A few days ago, she shed some tears when we went to Gateway Mall and she vividly remembered her good old days of not too long ago in that place, where they simply walked around and shopped a little. They lived a life that is not extravagant and excessive but they also spared excessively when in comes to us. Personally, Dad and Mom are my family that I looked forward to spend my old days but I’m left with my Mom now. So, I sincerely desire to find the words that could console, comfort and heal my Mom’s agony. I also desire to find the right embrace that could somehow pacify my Mom from her longing of my Dad’s love. I am aggressively hoping to build my Mom’s shattered soul. But I know that I could never find them, no matter how hard I pray and beg to God for those desires because it’s not my power to fulfill and for that I ASK FORGIVENESS TO MY MOM…AND SO TO MY DAD FOR BEING UNABLE TO TAKE CARE OF HIS MOST PRECIOUS ONE.

The Babang Luksa is only one stage of our letting go and healing and we promised to you Dad, Papa that we will remember you with happy thoughts and most of the times in grief because we miss you completely. Indeed, life has never been sweeter since you left…

From my Mama Mil/Amelita; Mamang Emia; all of us siblings, Darwin, Joey, Gary, Ariel, Bemz and Misan; in laws Rhia, Lea, Maricel, Ramel; nieces and nephews; Tito Roy and Tita Dox; Tita Baby and Tito Leo; Tito Boy and Tita Litz, we would like to once again express our deepest gratitude to all of our neighbors, relatives and friends, especially my Papa’s friends and colleagues for making that difficult time, a time in our lives to remember always that we are deeply loved and appreciated.

To those who have remained with us God bless you and to the few who turned their back, we forgive you and we still thank you for being a part of us.

WHEN I REMEMBER PAPA, I LOOK AT THE BRIGHT NIGHT SKY

And perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven

Where the love of our lost ones pours through

And shines down upon us to let us know that are happy.

May the road rise to meet you Papa..

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,

May the Lord hold you in the palm of His hand.

Love, BEMZ

QUEEN RAQUELA

pOSTER

I went to Robinsons Galleria’s Movie World yesterday to watch The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela. I was accompanied by my partner Gary. I was personally excited because in the blitz of indie movies now came a transsexual film that focuses on the core of the problems that beset many of today’s transpinays (Filipino Transsexual Women). I who is an empowered and proud transpinay and who is into the Lebian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender activism (Ang Ladlad, Society of Transsexual Women in the Philippines) will tell you courageously in dismal manner that the affirmation of our existence and rights to identify, mingle and pursue a dignified life according to our own free will is long and tedious road to traverse but I am certainly not giving up to the challenges. Freedom, liberty, poverty and discrimination must be fought  relentlessly. The struggle is draining and demanding but that is the  reason why victory is bittersweet. Victory may not come across in my lifetime but I am honored to be a part of that grand dream, where everyone can live accordingly.

I hope that many Filipinos will watch  The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela. It will educate and inform them that this is a life that was written in the stars for us and there should be no reason for them to make our lives laborious and wearing. We are human beings who deserves to co-exist in society as its equal to any gender and sexuality. Furthermore, the movie depicted the many challenges that hounds a transsexual’s life in it’s assertion and affirmation of her gender identity, expression and dignified way and means in life. And if one has to think with propriety after seeing the movie, one must have a good faith, judgement and ability to comprehend that we were destined to this life and we have no other recourse but to live it the way God has made us with sheer acceptance and love to have a happy and fulfilled life.

That’s what straight people aspired too right? Yes, because they are people like us.

Enjoy the movie, laugh, empahtize and reflect from it. Of course the movie has it’s own element of drama and comic relief, just like in each of us, where we have all what it takes for a movie in the making.
 
———————————————————–
Here is the Press Release on The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela:

Limited time screening only!

The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela showing this week at Robinson’s Galleria
(screening week April 11-21)

The quasi-biography of a Filipino transsexual named Raquela Rios, a.k.a. Queen Raquela, will be shown on the big screen starting Black Saturday, April 11. The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela will be shown exclusively at Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center.

This Philippine-Icelandic film co-production was shot in Cebu, Philippines; Iceland, France, and the United States.

It was chosen as the Best Feature Film at the 2008 Berlin Film Fest’s Teddy Queer Film Awards for its “ability to address race, gender and poverty in an entertaining way, while also playing with audiences’ expectations of form.”
Awards:
Best Feature Film, Teddy Awards, Berlin Film Festival, Germany
Grand Jury Prize, Cinemanila Film Festival, Philippines
Best Feature Fiction, Zinegoak Film Festival, Spain
Best International Feature, New York LGBT Film Festival, USA
Showtime Vanguard Award, New York LGBT Film Festival, USA
Jury Award, Cinema City, Serbia
Directed by Olaf Johannesson
Produced by Arleen Cuevas, Olaf Johannesson , Stefan Schaeffer, Helgi Sverisson
Cinematography by Butch Maddul
Production Manager: Beverly Tanedo
Production Designer: Alexis Yap
Starring Raquela Rios, Brax Villa, Olivia Galudo
Cebuano with English Subtitles
SYNOPSIS.Raquela is a transsexual from the Philippines who dreams of escaping the streets of Cebu City for a fairy tale life in Paris. In order to make her dreams come true, she turns from prostitution toward the more lucrative business of Internet porn. Her success as a porn star brings new friends, including Valerie, another transsexual in Iceland, and Michael, the owner of the website Raquela works for. Valerie helps Raquela get as far as Iceland. From there, Michael offers her a rendezvous in Paris. Will Paris be everything she dreamed of? And will Michael turn out to be her Prince Charming?

http://www.pep.ph/guide/3670/Queen-Raquela-will-be-screened-starting-April-11

Trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Xb99MwQS0

Website: www.queenraquela.com
www.queenraquelathemovie.com

SCREENING TIMES: 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM, 9PMI went to Robinsons Galleria’s Movie World yesterday to watch The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela. I was accompanied by my partner Gary. I was personally excited because in the blitz of indie movies now came a transsexual film that focuses on the core of the problems that beset many of today’s transpinays (Filipino Transsexual Women). I who is an empowered and proud transpinay and who is into the Lebian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender activism (Ang Ladlad, Society of Transsexual Women in the Philippines) will tell you courageously in dismal manner that the affirmation of our existence and rights to identify, mingle and pursue a dignified life according to our own free will is long and tedious road to traverse but I am certainly not giving up to the challenges. Freedom, liberty, poverty and discrimination must be fought  relentlessly. The struggle is draining and demanding but that is the  reason why victory is bittersweet. Victory may not come across in my lifetime but I am honored to be a part of that grand dream, where everyone can live accordingly.

I hope that many Filipinos will watch  The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela. It will educate and inform them that this is a life that was written in the stars for us and there should be no reason for them to make our lives laborious and wearing. We are human beings who deserves to co-exist in society as its equal to any gender and sexuality. Furthermore, the movie depicted the many challenges that hounds a transsexual’s life in it’s assertion and affirmation of her gender identity, expression and dignified way and means in life. And if one has to think with propriety after seeing the movie, one must have a good faith, judgement and ability to comprehend that we were destined to this life and we have no other recourse but to live it the way God has made us with sheer acceptance and love to have a happy and fulfilled life.

That’s what straight people aspired too right? Yes, because they are people like us.

Enjoy the movie, laugh, empahtize and reflect from it. Of course the movie has it’s own element of drama and comic relief, just like in each of us, where we have all what it takes for a movie in the making.
 
——————————————————————————————————————————
Here is the Press Release on The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela:

Limited time screening only!

The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela showing this week at Robinson’s Galleria
(screening week April 11-21)

The quasi-biography of a Filipino transsexual named Raquela Rios, a.k.a. Queen Raquela, will be shown on the big screen starting Black Saturday, April 11. The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela will be shown exclusively at Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center.

This Philippine-Icelandic film co-production was shot in Cebu, Philippines; Iceland, France, and the United States.

It was chosen as the Best Feature Film at the 2008 Berlin Film Fest’s Teddy Queer Film Awards for its “ability to address race, gender and poverty in an entertaining way, while also playing with audiences’ expectations of form.”
Awards:
Best Feature Film, Teddy Awards, Berlin Film Festival, Germany
Grand Jury Prize, Cinemanila Film Festival, Philippines
Best Feature Fiction, Zinegoak Film Festival, Spain
Best International Feature, New York LGBT Film Festival, USA
Showtime Vanguard Award, New York LGBT Film Festival, USA
Jury Award, Cinema City, Serbia
Directed by Olaf Johannesson
Produced by Arleen Cuevas, Olaf Johannesson , Stefan Schaeffer, Helgi Sverisson
Cinematography by Butch Maddul
Production Manager: Beverly Tanedo
Production Designer: Alexis Yap
Starring Raquela Rios, Brax Villa, Olivia Galudo
Cebuano with English Subtitles
SYNOPSIS.Raquela is a transsexual from the Philippines who dreams of escaping the streets of Cebu City for a fairy tale life in Paris. In order to make her dreams come true, she turns from prostitution toward the more lucrative business of Internet porn. Her success as a porn star brings new friends, including Valerie, another transsexual in Iceland, and Michael, the owner of the website Raquela works for. Valerie helps Raquela get as far as Iceland. From there, Michael offers her a rendezvous in Paris. Will Paris be everything she dreamed of? And will Michael turn out to be her Prince Charming?

http://www.pep.ph/guide/3670/Queen-Raquela-will-be-screened-starting-April-11

Trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Xb99MwQS0

Website: www.queenraquela.com
www.queenraquelathemovie.com

SCREENING TIMES: 1PM, 3PM, 5PM, 7PM, 9PM

FAREWELL GRANDMA

OUR MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, Mrs. Lolita “Kilet” Favorito Dumlao was laid to rest last 07 March 2009 in the Province of Abra.

She is the third casualty in our faimily after my maternal grandfather and beloved father a year ago. Casualties that speak a lot of the truths and realities of life.

The past two years have been a tough battle for my grandmother in terms of her health. The decline was drastic and in haste but grandma tried to live it anyway and fought it with optimism and bravery. But sometimes, the body fails even if the spirit is willing.

She must have been tired and the pain must have gotten her worn out. Oftentimes she wished to have gone ahead of time…until our creator had finally given her the go signal to take her rest in a peaceful manner.

Thank you grandma, lola, for giving me and my siblings a mother that we can all be proud of.

Thank you for the strenght and courage that you instilled into our mother to face the many adversities that overwhelmed her.

Thank you for simply loving us, your apos (grandchildren) with sheer fairness and warmth.

Thank you for simply being a part of our lives.

Give our longing and love ot our beloved Papa Sandy…and even our hugs to Lolo Doro and Papang Illo.

May the angels carry you into their wings and deliver you to our Father Almighty.

Watch over us so that we will continue to feel the warmth of your love until we are with you again. Sleep well, sleep warm, sleep tight and we will meet again in His own time grandma, lola.

MY TAKE ON BB GANDANGHARI

The liberation of a nation is through the liberation of it’s people (Professor Danton Remoto and 2010 candidate for senator).

01 March 2009, I met the statuesque and jaw-dropping BB Gandanghari in the flesh at Power Books in Megamall at the launching of S, the new entertainment magazine in town from Mega Publishing Group. I was overwhelmed to witness on how the people from across classes welcomed and accepted her in pride and jubilation. The image that I saw was a far cry from the hunky Rustom Padilla that BB Gandanghari killed and buried as she metamorphosed into the glam and glamour of the style and beauty icon Audrey Hepburn.

A few weeks ago, I was personally insulted and offended by the uncalled for remarks and tirades of gay comedians Vice Ganda and Chokoleit on national television about BB Gandanghari’s blossoming. And as if they were not enough, considered gay icon, entrepreneur and philantropist Ricky Reyes also lambasted BB Gamdanghari on the boob tube and quantified her self-actualization as a laughing stock. A dismal judgement from a person who is a cross dresser himself.

Then last week, the convivial and fair gay host Boy Abunda interviewed BB again for her response. She was hurt of course, but she did not dignify those tirades and instead intimated once again that being gay or woman is not important at all. All that is important according to her is that she is a human being and that means she deserves dignity bar none. If a person has the capacity to think and feel well, I think that will suffice everything.

Some would still insists that the old Rustom padilla who started to come out in the reality program of ABS-CBN 2 must have remained as it is. But what those critics have forgotten is, are they the one who will decide for BB? Is it what they see is the real gender identity that she hopes, aspires and pushes to live with? At the end of the day, it is only her who would know her very self. People have forgotten the existence of transgender women in society. They are those individuals whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex at birth. They are also those individuals whose gender expression doesn’t match the gender expression dictated by the norms of society that is based on assigned sex alone. Transgenderism is all about gender identity and gender expression regardless of the existence of a sex re-assignment surgery (SRS).

Remoto even commented that those who keep on upbraiding BB are those ugly ones. The more that they castigate her, the more uglier they become. Now, that’s a dose of their own medicine from someone who should know better than them.

Professor Remoto even explained further:

“What I think is that the young gay boy who was bullied by classmates and beaten up by his father because he was gay, who was forced to marry to pass for a straight man and who has now grown up to be a taller and prettier than the rest of them has chosen to assert himself. To shape his own identity, to form his own self, which is the way it should be. And whether he makes money, becomes more famous, or snags more fabulous boyfriends because of this blossoming, it will be a bonus in the reign of Her Majesty, BB Gandanghari”

Life have driven Rustom Padilla to many crossroads, altercations, left and right turns and dramaturgical parkings in life. Now that Rustom Padilla is dead and buried in a manner of speaking and BB Gandanghari have come out of the closet and re-emerges to be a happier and dispatched person in a new world that is no longer bound by old customs and old judgement. Let the woman to be home at last and savor freedom in its very essentials. Her bravery to come out is indeed extraordinary but isn’t it more painful to think of those times where she remained in the closet. After all, the closet is like a coffin and in life hereafter, we will all be judged by God on how well we did on this earth.