4.23.2012

LGBT Advocates win award

everyone's welcome, except the homophobes. celebrity winners of GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), the somewhat Oscar equivalent in LGBT, a transgender and a straight guy.


Chaz Bono, Josh Hutcherson win GLAAD Awards

source here


Chaz with his super gay icon mom


April 22, 2012.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chaz Bono picked up a pair of trophies at the GLAAD Media Awards.


The 43-year-old transgender activist and author was honored with the outstanding documentary prize and Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 23rd annual Media Awards for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Bono won along with directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato for "Becoming Chaz," the OWN documentary that chronicled his gender transition.

Bono, who was the first-ever transgender contestant on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" last year, was also given the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is given by GLAAD to a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender member of the entertainment community. Past winners have included Ellen DeGeneres, Rufus Wainwright, Wanda Sykes, John Waters and Melissa Etheridge.

Other honorees at Saturday night's 's ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles were ABC's "Modern Family" for comedy series, Focus Features drama "Beginners" starring Ewan McGregor and supporting actor Oscar winner Christopher Plummer for wide-release film, and Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva" and TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" in a tie for individual TV episode.

"The Hunger Games" star Josh Hutcherson won the Vanguard Award, which lauds efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender community. Earlier this year, he began working with the anti-bullying campaign Straight But Not Narrow. The 19-year-old actor is the youngest recipient to ever win the Vanguard Award.



He was the son of the lesbian couple in the award-winning film, The Kids Are All Right. Here's his campaign:
 

Half Filipino "Pregnant Man" Thomas Beatie and Wife Separate

Transgenders are making news these days. This weirds out many people. But am glad news is out. Change is constant. Get used to it. :)




Thomas Beatie

The world’s first known legal man to give birth, not once, but three times split from his wife of nine years.

He used to be Tracy Lagundino, born in Hawaii to a Filipino father and a Caucasian mother. He was once a Miss Teen Hawaii USA finalist so you can see how pretty she was. He is legally male after undergoing a sex change operation – but kept her female reproductive organs. Her partner can't conceive anymore so it was he who got pregnant for them. He made headlines in 2007 after pictures of his bearded face and pregnant belly became public.


Beatie, 38, revealed the breakup with Nancy during a taping of the syndicated TV show The Doctors in which he also said he had undergone a final female-to-male gender reassignment surgery.

"Nancy hasn’t seen the new me yet," Beatie, 38, says.

"Like all marriages, we have our ups and downs, and we’re going through a rough patch right now. At the moment, we’re separated."






Nancy had two children from a previous relationship, but when she couldn't bear anymore, Beatie stepped in. He stopped taking his hormone medication and became fertilized through artificial insemination (using a sperm donor.)


Beatie had not had phalloplasty surgery, to create an artificial penis, and therefore was able to give birth.

By this stage Beatie had legally become recognized as a male, making him the world's first known man to give birth, the Global Post reported.

Beatie made headlines in 2008 when he had his first child. No one really understood how it was possible for him to give birth.


"I stopped taking my bimonthly testosterone injections," Beatie said. "It had been roughly eight years since I had my last menstrual cycle, so this wasn't a decision that I took lightly. My body regulated itself after about four months, and I didn't have to take any exogenous estrogen, progesterone, or fertility drugs to aid my pregnancy," Beatie told "The Advocate," during the time.

Beatie's three children, daughter Susan and sons Austin and Jensen, were all born between June 2008 and July 2010. "If Nancy could get pregnant, I wouldn't be doing this," Beatie told People Magazine. "Who hires a surrogate if they are perfectly capable of carrying their own child?"


But now, having spilt from wife Beatie has undergone the final stage of his surgery and will not be able to give birth in the future.

Before becoming a trans-sexual, Beatie was a model and finalist in Miss Hawaii Teen USA. He started to dress like a man in his 20s. His sex change has been gradual. First taking hormones and having his breasts removed, before undergoing sex reassignment surgery in 2012.


source: various sites



4.22.2012

Earth is FINE!

In celebration of Earth Day, I give you the great George Carlin and his hilarious take on saving the Earth. Enjoy! :)



Tweet Truths

share-worthy tweets :) bordering from serious, funny, interesting, and boom! enjoy! 
which one is your favorite? which one relates to you the most? be a dear and share as well :)



gay and not over acting

how do i start with this. there's so many politically incorrect stuff in the piece below that made me realize, chauvinism still exists and are even allowed to speak and share their outdated thoughts in public. am torn if i should even bother correcting him (he's entitled to his sexist opinion anyway) or just dismissing him. but since he made this sexist remarks public, i think we should also make out thoughts public about it.

below are excerpts from the column piece in Inquirer this morning.

Transgenders who intrude
and junta generals who blink

By: Minyong Ordoñez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:47 am | Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
link here


"...the intrusion of transgenders will bother me with a new criteria: the authenticity of the contestant’s sex organ." *excuse me, it's not intrusion. it's the freaking Ms Universe organization who announced they'd allow it.* 

"Together with many ordinary women, I am puzzled. Why can’t they leave a good thing alone? Why complicate our lives with one more puzzle to solve the insecurity and over-acting of gay people?" *sweeping statement and generalization/stereotyping*

"There are really no sex-related biases. Gays and transgenders in our society are a fact of life. I assume that men are the first sex, women the second sex, gays and lesbians the third sex. The androgynous are the possible fourth sex." *the only way you'd think of this hierarchy is when you believe in creation that God created man first, then women. obviously, gender equality is not part of his vocabulary*


"What most men like me presume, honor and expect in a Miss Universe contest is that all contestants have authentic child-bearing organs, such as a womb to produce ovum and breasts to lactate with baby’s milk." *please check the requirements. those were not listed in the contestant requirements. and news flash, women existence is more than, not just on giving kids.*

The womb is the ultimate physiological determinant of womanhood. The womb is the organ of femininity and maternal instinct. Without an ovum-producing organ, we have no woman to love, marry and have babies with. *poor first sexist you.*

4.21.2012

Two Exclusive Parties Tonight!

One's in Makati, the other in QC. Enjoy! :)



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EXCLUSIVELY DANCE PARTY FOR WOMEN: "SUMMER VIBES" ... A TASTE OF KANDI!

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GET YOURSELF READY for A NIGHT to REMEMBER!

DJ'S play a selection of the Hottest Tracks you all Know and Love.

Gorgeous Sexy Ledge Dancers to Hype the Night!

Let’s all put our hands in the air and dance the night away

4.19.2012

Pow Chavez tonight at Malate

Who is Pow Chavez and why should we be interested in her?

She was one of the finalists in the 2006 Philippine Idol franchise. An out lesbian at the contest, she showed a lot of promise that even Lea Salonga were all praises for her. She didn't the contest, but won my admiration and many others.

Fast forward, she's released an album  last year. See the glowing review here. She's now more buff, has a hot foreigner gf last I checked, AND she has a show TONIGHT! :)

Gusto ko manood!!! I haven't seen her in person. Am sure it'll be fun. Please support our kapuso/n! =)




Catch Pow Chavez with the whole crew of the band, JOINT, on April 19, 2012 at The Library, Malate!

This is no regular gig! Hear songs Pow doesn't sing on a regular, and hear your favorite ORIGINAL SONGS/COLLABS performed live with your favorite FlipMusic artists: Thyro a...nd Yumi, BNK, Ron Henley and Summer!

Give aways from great sponsors will happen during the show too, so join the party!

**tickets are at P400. Feel free to have yours reserved!

This show is powered by:

THE LIBRARY MALATE MANILA OCEAN PARK WIPCAPS THE AMAZING PLAYGROUND and BULLCHEF!!!





A sample of her song

A true Power of Two - Aiza and Pow Duet


Singing with MYMP :) Parang kinikilig ako sa kanya. wehehe.

4.17.2012

Once upon a song

it started with a song that mirrors the tragic state that we were in.

well, i’ve been afraid of changin’
cause i’ve built my life around you
but time makes you bolder
children get older
and i’m getting older too

we were bound by our pain and our questions.

oh, mirror in the sky, what is love
can the child within my heart rise above
can i sail through the changing ocean tides
can i handle the seasons of my life

we joked about a crying meet up. which we took seriously and actually met! the irony of it all is that we didn't even shed one single tear that time. we were shy, hesitant, and i was embarrassingly late. sorry. perfection takes time. hehe.

i have long ago stopped making expectations when meeting someone for the first time. we were so consumed with each's agony that we didn't even ask how each looks like. and you know what, am glad we didn't. you were such a nice surprise with your long hair, dainty blouse, warm presence and sweet, unassuming smile. so sweet i can taste it in my mind. thank you for being my beautiful, tragic soul. pasensya na, misery loves company daw e. hehe.

what was it that they say? people come to you when you are ready for them or when you need them. i must have been so needy then because fate sent you to me despite unusual circumstance. i didn't tell my closest friends my trials then. it was such a life changing struggle that it had to be someone anonymous before i can open up.

you were the anonymous that mattered to me the most then. and am blessed that we're far from strangers now. very blessed because you likewise shared the story of your heart. thank you for the gift of trust.

tragedy can make or break a person. it can kill or leave one paralyzed for life, either physically or emotionally. once upon a song, i was like that. until Anonymous came along to save me.

to A&A, Happy Landslide Anniversary! =)


“Disaster is a natural part of my evolution.
Toward tragedy and dissolution.”

Chuck Palahniuk, American freelance Journalist, Satirist and Novelist







4.16.2012

transgender in translation

okay. i am soo puyat and bangag now at work, but can't sleep during lunch. so might as well join the miss transgender universe craze.

the reason am puyat is because i'm pasaway enough to go out with lez and gay friends on a Sunday night. it was soo inet so i wore micro mini garter called skirt and loose spaghetti strapped tank. we were to have dinner at tiannanmen bar in makati ave, but to our dismay, it's under renovation. we decided artistic and ended up in botong's up in a.venue. we paid our respects to the used to be covert and "it" gay club, government, where we can enter for free on face value only. sigh. with the construcion of a.venue, the club has been uncovered so to speak. the excitement fizzled and government ceased to be. the facade now has a tarp "secret cinema". i wonder if they show porn there.

anyhoo, eating at botong's and digesting on a new friend's sob story, i learned that many people still get confused with transgenders. she shared that she met a butch who thinks of herself as a man.

ok, pause.
if a woman thinks she's a man trapped in a woman's body, then she's what?

a. nasasapian ng lalaking kaluluwa? err, wrong.
b. bisexual kasi female on the outside, male inside? err, wrong again.
c. alam ko na! tomboooyyyy! WRONG! 
d. *shocked* err, butch? sorry, still wrong.
e. *isip, isip* uhm, lesbian? hay, wrong pa rin.


i know there are many lgbt terminology educated people here. but there are still people who are not yet that aware of the details and nitty gritty of gender and sexuality. and the above sample question and answer portion is a common conversation i myself have encountered. and honestly i used to be one of those who would answer c, d, and e.

if a woman thinks she's a man trapped in a woman's body or vice versa, then she's a transgender and referred to as a "he".

with all the controversy on miss universe allowing transgenders to join the pageant, i think we have to step back a bit first and understand foremost, what are transgenders?
below are excerpts from Michael L. Tan's Inquirer column, Pinoy Kasi, "Transgenders", published March 6, in relation to Heart Diño's win as UP Diliman USC chair.


Sexual orientation


Let’s deal first with sexual orientation, which in western psychology would have the following labels:

heterosexual - men attracted to women, women attracted to men,
homosexual - men attracted to men, women attracted to women, and
bisexual - men attracted to men and women, women attracted to men and women

“gay” - this term is also used, usually referring to men attracted to men
“lesbian” and “gay woman” - refers to women attracted to women.

Gay has stronger connotations of an identity and political involvement—for example, “gay rights” or “gay activism.”

It’s not surprising that many languages, including those in the Philippines, do not have local terms for “heterosexual” or “homosexual” because these terms were first coined only in the 19th century, in Germany, and originally had clinical or medical connotations.

Tagalog “bakla” - is often used as a translation of “homosexual,” but this is not quite correct. “Bakla” refers more to an effeminate male, rather than a sexual orientation.

Transgender is a term that was coined even more recently and refers to someone who lives between (thus, “trans”) being male and female. “Bakla,” in its earlier meaning, comes closer to transgender. A transgender is someone who believes he or she was born into the wrong biological sex. Thus, Heart Diño speaks of being a “transwoman” because, while born male, Heart believes she should have been female. Same goes for BB Gandanghari who refer to her former male self, Rustom Padilla as dead already. There are also “transmen,” born female but convinced they should have been male. Example here is Chaz Bono.


“Trans” people are usually identified with cross-dressing, but asserting a transgender identity also involves modifications in voice, body movements, even the body itself, to become more like the sex they believe they should have been born into.

The confusion usually lies between gender identity and sexual orientation, that is, equating homosexuals with transgenders.

A gender identity is one's private sense of being a man or a woman, and consists primarily of the acceptance of membership in a particular group of people: male or female. However, there are people who are uncomfortable with the gender that is usually associated with their sex or they are born with. Thus there are those who alter their physical look (hormone supplements, clothing, surgery, etc) to align to the gender they identify with.

Are transsexuals and transgenders the same?

The term transsexual is an older term that was used to refer to people who wanted surgical intervention for sexual reassignment. So in a way, it's a sub group of transgender I guess.

Summary:
Transgenders and transsexuals are labels used around gender identity while homosexuals, heterosexuals and bisexuals refer to sexual orientation. Most homosexuals are comfortable with their biological sex and have no desire to cross-dress or to adopt behaviors of the other sex. And many local transgenders have no intention of going through reconstructive surgery, but do want to live as women.


******

Soo, to go back to the miss universe allowing transgenders,
1. if miss canada organization indicated "must be natural born female", then Jenna Talackova shouldn't be allowed. but if they only indicated female, then Jenna can participate.
2. for miss universe, they said they will allow it. whatever our opinions about it, it doesn't matter because the organization itself already gave the  nod. of course, a lot can still happen from now till the next pageant.
3. bb pilipinas can still keep their natural born women-cosmetically-altered-to-be-prettier-sexier contestants. last i checked, they only require female, and doesn't make mention of natural born women.


yan na muna at tapos na lunch time ko. :)






4.08.2012

happy easter! :)

happy Easter! :) i haven't been able to blog here because i've been preparing some stuff for my plan to transfer job. i don't have an offer yet, but i need to organize a LOT of things for my portfolio/credentials. i haven't sought a new job in a loong while so i needed to study again, the usual strengths, weaknesses, what is leadership to you, how do you see yourself in the next 5 yrs, not to mention i needed to revisit PMP technicals. it's good that am conducting PMP exam prep training at work, because it's aligned to what i need to study. 

anyhoo, several of you might have died already from boredom with those work details i just spewed up. not to worry! :) am excited to share this very inspiring story of a gay man's resurrection back to life. happy easter indeed! =)

Puey Quiñones– from runway to redemption

It was a scandal of epic proportions. 

In February last year, fashion designer Puey Quiñones was caught trying to pass off a department store-bought jacket as his own creation. Shea Gamboa, the furious bride-to-be whose groom Jhon Maala commissioned the suit for their wedding, tweeted about what people soon referred to as “a fashion scam.”

Within hours, the tale of retagging had become a full-blown controversy that brought the designer to his knees.

Rewind
Growing up in Samar, Quiñones did not dream of becoming a fashion designer.
“I didn’t even know what fashion was. I grew up in a small town. I was older than 10 when we got our first TV.”

He had visions of being on the center stage but he wasn’t sure how.

“I tried singing, I joined contests. But puberty hit and my voice changed. So I tried dance. Then I said, this is it. I’ll become a teacher, I’ll teach dance.”

But his father, a policeman, had other plans for him.

“He asked me to take up Political Science. I think he was hoping na magiging straight pa ako.”
After three years of Political Science at University of Eastern Philippines, Quiñones wasn’t happy at all. He heard that his aunt, who was based in Manila, was going into partnership with fashion designer Dennis Lustico.

“I asked her, can I just work for you? You don’t have to pay me. Gusto ko lang lumayo.”
He made the big move to Manila and started earning money by volunteering to wash his aunt’s car. Soon, he started working for Lustico.

“I was his assistant. I was very happy doing that—working on the finishing touches, sewing the buttons, answering the phones.”

Although he was starting to feel the urge to create his own designs, at first, Quiñones resisted. “I always thought fashion was only for rich kids.” But then he started to sketch. “I sketched every day tapos nilalagay ko sa table ni  Dennis  para makita niya.”

When Bergamo CEO Mel Meer was looking for a designer, Lustico told Quiñones that he was ready.
“I submitted my sketches and Mr. Meer loved it. I was so happy but nervous,” Quiñones recalls.
 
It was 2000 and he was only 20.

Fame
Quiñones was just starting. He joined competitions and won over clients and fashion editors with his bold, dramatic and unorthodox designs. His clientele, who included celebrities, grew exponentially. Ironically, it was the fame that he worked hard for that led to his downfall.

“I went overboard. I felt untouchable. Hindi ako babagsak. I was having a great time, I had a fabulous life. Lahat kaya ko. Nasusunod lahat ng gusto ko. Anywhere I wanted to go, I could go. Anything I wanted to eat, I could eat. I felt the power. I abused it. I came from nothing, then I had so much. I was living beyond my means. I didn’t know how to control it anymore.”

Perhaps with that power came the feeling that he could get away with anything. Then, the scandal.

Damages
At the height of the controversy, Quiñones issued a public apology. He paid Shea and Jhon almost P200,000 in refunds and damages.

But his troubles were only beginning. “I lost a lot of clients. I lost a lot of money. I lost projects. Brides canceled their orders and asked for refunds. I said I’ll try to refund as long as I can. I did it and I was willing to face the consequences.”

 
Quiñones’ mother, a teacher, came to his aid. “She was the one who produced money to refund my clients. She took out loans. I realized, wala talagang tutulong sa ’yo kundi family mo.”

It was his family and his closest friends who kept him afloat. “Yung mga real friends talaga, mabibilang ko lang sa aking kamay. My family and si Dennis Lustico, whom I call “mother,” never siyang tumalikod sa akin; si Ronald Magalang whom I call “father”; si Ivarluski Aseron, Pia Campos, Carmina Sanchez.”

Quiñones says practically everything he’s earned has been used to pay off debts. “The whole year, I had no income. But I’m dealing with it. I’m not running.”

The scandal took a toll on him. “I got depressed. I couldn’t design. For months, I couldn’t go out of my room. I couldn’t eat. I was just crying and praying every day. I couldn’t afford to see people. I couldn’t go to the mall. I kept thinking, what about my fabulous friends? My fabulous lifestyle? What about the parties? Hindi na ako mai-invite sa social gatherings.”

But after weeks of reflection, Quiñones’ priorities changed.

“Before this happened, I was not a religious person. I was very modern. Pero sobrang nag-iba yung mundo ko. One day, I went to church and said, ‘Okay, Lord, pagod na ako.’ I was tired of dealing with the controversy, the criticisms, the people bashing me. I deserved it, I accepted it. I didn’t blame anybody. But I was ready to face a new life. I wanted to surrender.”

That moment, which came six months after the scandal, was pivotal.

“Doon ako nagkaroon ng strength ulit. I said to God, I am willing to lose everything, just give me back my peace. I was ready to give up fashion. I was ready to go home or go to another country and start a new life. When I surrendered, gumaan yung pakiramdam ko. I said, Lord, Ikaw na bahala sa akin. Just give me the right direction, give me what you think is best for me.”

The documentary
“After that, something good happened—my documentary.”

Quiñones didn’t think it would push through, given the scandal.

When director-producer Chun Kit Mak and producer Tom St. John Gray called Quiñones to express their desire to continue filming, he thought they hadn’t heard about the controversy.

“We met and I told them, I want you to know I’m going through something. And they said, we know.”

Mak and Tom first got in touch with Quiñones two years ago. They wanted to film his work with the maximum security inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

For four years now, Quiñones has been spending Tuesdays teaching inmates about fashion, dressmaking and tailoring. It was his uncle’s missionary friends who first invited him.

“They gathered mostly gay inmates. They were older than me and the only designer they knew was Pitoy Moreno. They were probably thinking, ‘Sino tong baklang maliit na to?’ But when I was leaving, when they were saying goodbye, nung nakita ko yung mga mata nila, may kumirot. Hindi ko ma-explain. Pero ang bigat-bigat nung palabas ako ng Bilibid. Parang meron akong calling na bumalik doon.”

He kept coming back, spending the entire day with the prisoners, teaching them about fabrics, how to sew.

“It felt like a vacation for me. I was so relaxed there. Yung takot ko turned into peace.”
Over the years, he developed a close relationship with his students. “They feel more like family. I always bring them food. They love my pasta. I bring them scampi or my pasta aligue. I bring them my famous humba or adobo.”

Project Bilibid Runway
Every year for the past three years, Quiñones has held Project Bilibid Runway, the fashion show-slash-competition that showcases the inmates’ design prowess.
“I look for sponsors, I ask my model friends to join and they do it for free. These models, they tell me, “Next year, kunin mo kami ulit ha.”

Quiñones’ visits to Bilibid stopped when he was trying to recover from the scandal. His return to the prison months after was emotional. His eyes welled up with tears as he shared, “They knew what happened but they never asked and they never judged. Meron silang letters na binasa in front of me. Hindi ko ine-expect yun. Naiyak talaga ako.”

The prisoners treated Quiñones like he had treated them. “I never asked about their crimes. I am not a judgmental person. Ayoko malaman. I didn’t need to know, as long as walang ginagawa sa aking masama. I was happy making them happy. Sabi ko nga, feeling ko it’s safer inside (the prison) than outside. Kaibigan ko sila.”

His Bilibid project has gotten a lot of attention from media here and abroad and has been run on BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN.

The documentary, titled “The World’s Most Fashionable Prison,” was filmed late last year and has already started making the rounds of film festivals abroad.

Last week, it was declared as one of the best documentaries at the 2012 Gold Kahuna Awards in Honolulu. It’s getting a lot of buzz and has been pegged as one of 2012’s must-watch documentaries.
“The World’s Most Fashionable Prison,” conceived to chronicle the inmates’ redemption through fashion, became Quiñones’ story of deliverance as well.

“I can relate to the inmates more now because nagkasala rin ako. Mas naging close ako sa kanila. We all need the same thing—a second chance.”

Food
Aside from his work in Bilibid, Quiñones has found solace in food.

“Food is my life. Kahit wala akong damit basta meron akong food. I traveled for food, not for fashion. I can make fashion, I create fashion. But food feeds me, food feeds my soul.”

Quiñones, who has always loved cooking for his family and friends, has decided to launch a food business with his business partner Andrew Rivera.

“We’ve started catering. Our first food client was Bonnie Tan. We did lunch for Maureen Disini, lunch for Candy Dizon, dinner for Kate Torralba. We will soon be offering Samar food at Mercato Centrale.”
He is also accepting reservations in his home in Makati. “I want people to experience Puey’s Penthouse—I want my friends and clients to experience the food, the music. They’ll book, come here and I’ll surprise them with good food.”

He is also busy with fashion. “Para akong grade one ulit, para akong nag-start ulit. I love it. Parang love at first sight… And now that I have no sewers, I’m the one designing, cutting the pattern, draping, sewing.”

Quiñones says the past year has taught him a lot of lessons. “We are the master of our own life, we make our own life, good or bad. We are responsible. I learned to face my mistakes and I’m moving on.”

Although it was hard, Quiñones says he has learned to treasure everything he’s gone through.
“It made me a real person and a better person. I’m stronger now. Kahit anong mangyari sa akin, I’m not scared. I’m free, finally. Every day I feel excited. It’s a new day, a new life. Kung anong darating sa akin, kailangan kong maging kuntento. I don’t want to ask for anything. I may not have enough money but I’m happier now.

“I have a favorite quote from ‘Eat Pray Love.’  

‘Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.’ 

 This is me. Kinailangan kong masira para umayos ulit ako.”

source here