Possibly groundbreaking things

There was a big fire yesterday, as most of you know. It was so big, you could see the smoke all the way from our office building.

* * * * *

Work was really exciting today, as we just finished a photoshoot with Rica Paras, who along with Justine Ferrer made Philippine television a much friendlier place for transfolk.

Rica isn't just fun to have around, she's fiercely intelligent as well. She was very articulate during the interview and held nothing back, and was game with anything that we asked her to do.

And to see how people would react to her! We shot some of the photos at a high school near the office, and male and female students would follow her around and had no qualms at all telling her that they loved her. It was such a beautiful thing to watch.

Another great thing: When this issue goes out, our paper will be the first one in the country with a trans person featured prominently on its pages. At least as far as I know.

* * * * *
Gay teen worried he might be Christian. I quote:

""I don't know what's happening to me," Faber admitted to reporters Monday. "It's like I get these weird urges sometimes, and suddenly I'm tempted to go behind my friends' backs and attend a megachurch service, or censor books in the school library in some way. Even just the thought of organizing a CD-burning turns me on."

* * * * *
Pope says gays endanger humanity. I won't even bother with you, Papa Razzi.

* * * * *
Channing Tatum's meat is well done. I quote once again:

"Channing Tatum's penis is gross. It looks like a hot dog that's been left too long on the grill. The tip is hot-pink, singed, and shriveled. It appears angry. And it's painful to view. My penis hurts just from looking at it. Movie stars tend to be vain, by nature and profession, but Chan—that's what everyone calls him—does not mind one bit showing me his sad, withered wiener. 'It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life,' he says, flipping through photos on his iPhone until he lands on a grainy snapshot of a scorched member. His scorched member. 'I'm good . . . now,' he says with a grin. 'Now my penis is fantastic! One hundred percent recovered. Put me back in the game, Coach.'"

Rise of the transgenders

I don't get to talk to a lot of foreigners with regards to the state of the LGBT community here in the Philippines, but from the few I've managed to discuss it with, it would seem that our country is quite the gay-friendly haven.

Looking at today's TV environment, it would really seem so. In fact, the primetime shows on the country's two biggest networks prominently feature transgenders in their cast, and nobody seems to be batting their eyelashes at any of the proceedings.

One could say that transgender have always figured prominently in the Philippine entertainment industry anyway -- Lino Brocka's "Ang Tatay kong Nanay" (My Father is my Mother) being one such example -- but for the most part they have played the parts of comedic relief, often the object of verbal and physical punchlines.

Rica of PBB Double Up and Justine of Survivor Philippines are far from being the object of comedic relief.

PBB's Rica

Rica has an impressive academic background, coming from one of the country's incredibly competitive science schools and a graduate from the Ateneo. She's well-liked in the house, and so far the only votes she's gotten are from two housemates who grew up in the provinces, which is to be expected.

Survivor's Justine

Justine is even more impressive. First to be voted off and sent to Survivor Philippines equivalent of "Exile Island", she has defeated all of the challengers she's been up against, and is now part of the top three and is actually rumored to win the whole thing.

That isn't to say that there isn't a lot of work still to be done. Even the Pinoy Big Brother website labels Rica as part of the non-existent "third sex", and we all know about the lady behind "Enchong Dee is a gay". But I hope that this current goodwill towards transgenders translates to better acceptance of the LGBT community among the public.

We're still pretty low key, after all. It's not like we're out there doing something as controversial as this.