The Rainbow Blog Philippines

After almost a month on air, I was starting to get bored with Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) , the Philippines' version of the Endemol-produced hit reality TV show. This week, I only tuned in twice just to see how our STRAP girl, Rica Paras is doing so far. As the joke goes, according to Ate Vi (that's Vilma Santos for you, an actress turned politician who has a quirky way of speaking), so far so good so far. During Rica's first week, she was asked by Big Brother to pretend that she's the girl friend of the Filipino-Austrian housemate, Rob Stumvol. They were able to pull off the task pretty well. It even reached a point where Rica and Rob had to pretend that they were getting married with Rob proposing and all. It had the entire nation glued to their TV sets. So many people found the Rica-Rob pretend love team so cute, including me and the girls. This week I learned that the housemates are anticipating a swap where a housemate from the Philippines will be swapped with another...

I am so loving the cover of Adam Lambert's new album called For Your Entertainment (see pic below). Already it is generating some buzz, good and bad, which is great if you are in show business. Of course, it will not please everybody. But for me personally, I think it is great because it puts the idea of difference or diversity right in the middle of things, which is something transpeople do on a daily basis. I hope Adam's new album's cover will spark discussions about gender that some people are afraid to touch. What do you feel when you see someone like Adam looking all dolled up and androgynous on his album cover? If you think it is different, does it mean it's bad? What is it about the cover that makes you feel uncomfortable? What does this discomfort say about your own understanding of gender and what it means to be a man or woman?

It seems like STRAP is on a roll this year. After the entry of Rica Paras, a true-blooded STRAP girl, into the hit reality TV show Pinoy Big Brother comes another feather in STRAP's cap. I just learned today that a STRAP girl by the name of Rain Villagonzalo (see pic above) has won the first edition of Queen of Cebu, a new and prestigious pageant for Cebuana transpinays. Rain, who is Cebu-based, was Miss Philippines and she bested 20 other beautiful Cebuanas representing different nations of the world for the title of Queen of Cebu Universe. Days before the pageant night, Rain emailed the STRAP e-group announcing her participation in the pageant so everyone was overjoyed upon hearing of her win. Completing her court are Miss Lebanon, Queen of Cebu World and Miss Spain, Queen of Cebu International (See pic below). Cebu, which is also known as the Queen City of the South, is home to some of the Philippines' most beautiful transsexual women. This Saturday night, 24 October 2009,...

"We Dare. We Care." LGBT Campaign Launch on October 24! Join us this Saturday, October 24, 9PM! Starlites KTV Bar - Ballroom Area, Westpoint Street, Cubao, Quezon City. (Near Chowking Aurora Blvd) Entrance PHP 150. For the benefit of the awareness and education activities of the "We Dare. We Care." campaign. Attire: Black and/or White. See you! For more details, click on this link: SINGLE GUYS ONLINE - PH

Revived Ep 17, "Life Is A Musical" of TD&RS, Out Now ! We waited so long for this. Finally, the musical episode that we have been promising you since Season 1 of The Dan & Rye Show. Our sincerest thanks to our friends who made this possible. And special mention to "Mr. Englishero", Rony Fortich (HK Disney's Musical Director), for graciously hosting us and playing the piano all night. Kasuys , here is the 30-minute version of the fun, musical 4-hour jamming that we did one warm Saturday night in August. Tunes that make our hearts smile from Broadway all the way to Cubao. (Imagine how heartbreaking it was to select only 12.5% of everything. There's probably gonna be a part2) We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we had fun recording it. The Dan & Rye Show Revived!

I regret to announce that the father of Prof. Danton Remoto, chairman of Ang Ladlad, the national organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender Filipinos, has already been laid to rest by God. He peacefully passed away at 12:00 a.m., oct 18, 2009. In behalf of the LGBT community in the Philippines and the officers and members of Ang Ladlad Partylist, I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the Remoto family. May God give them the strength they need. His remains lie in state at St Ignatius Chapel mortuary, Camp Aguinaldo. Salamat.

We want YOU to come to Bed with us and experience 3 times the FUN! 3 times the PLEASURE! As we CELEBRATE our 3rd Year! ONEBACARDI In partnership with: BED Malate, Ang LADLAD, Task Force Pride Philippines, Lookal Baggets by Yako Reyes, Outragemag.com , Pinoyg4m.com, HBC, Vibrant , Ketchup Magazine, Starlites Starz Unlimited Productions invites YOU to Experience. Explore. Explode. THREESOME : OneBacardi's 3rd Year Anniversary Party . OCTOBER 15, 2009, THURSDAY, 10 pm Bed Malate Orosa-Nakpil Courtyard Malate, Manila P50 ENTRANCE 100 FIRST-CUMMERS will receive a special surprise 200+++ Orgasm of PRIZES, GIFT CERTIFICATES and FREEBIES will be given away Plus SCORCHING performances from 3 PREMIERE CLANS and members. For the benefit of 3 Charitable Institutions To uphold OneBacardi's 3 Noble Advocacies 2 Cocktail drinks for the price of 1 until Midnight! So go on. Join us! We know you want to. THREESOME: Because some things happen bet...

10 October 2009 Dear Friends, Allies & Supporters, We, the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP), a transgender rights advocacy organization and support group for girls and women of transsexual experience, are very proud to announce that one of our very own, Ms Rica Paras, is now a Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) housemate. Housemate Rica, the Math Goddess of Bacolod (although she is really from Iloilo, entered the PBB house tonight, 10 October 2009, Saturday, and we believe that given the dearth of positive and empowering media images of transgender Filipinas or transpinays, her addition to the cast of PBB housemates marks a significant milestone both in the history of Philippine TV but as well as in the local transgender liberation movement. Rica is the first out and proud transpinay who will ever enter the PBB house and be watched by millions on national TV. This is perhaps just rightly so as Rica’s story, indeed, is one that needs to be told. Growing up in a lower mid...

Firm or satirical? This video on the " IMPENETRABLE REASONS ON WHY HOMOSEXUALITY SHOULD BE BANNED " was posted by a Facebook contact and caught my eye the very moment I woke up. What a good way to start my day. I could sense my blood pressure rise upon watching this. This video reflects the traditional, bigoted religious view against homosexuality, and I just curse this guy speaking here. GAPANGIN KO SYA EH kapal ng mukha nya. When will you guys ever STOP THINKING that we are a MENACE to society and to religion?? LET LIVE nalang sana. Hindi naman namin kayo inaano. On the other hand, as per the reminder of close friends, as I went over the thread of of 12,100+ comments on this video at YouTube, I noticed that there is a possibility of this guy being sarcastic and satirical. Many do notice the sarcasm in this cute guy's face, since his views here sum up all arguments against homosexuality. So I'd hunt him down wherever he is in the US either to MARRY HIM or to KILL HIM...