LGBTs ask for equal rights

KAYE CANDOZA-POELS. She was abused by her father for being a transgender. Photo by Dawn Fabrero

MANILA, Philippines Kaye Candoza-Poels already knew she was female at the age of 6.

Now 27, she looked every bit a woman as she walked down the UP main road in 5-inch heels. A member of the Society of Transsexual Women Philippines, Kaye led the march on Thursday, May 17, to the Commission on Human Rights central office in celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (Idaho).

Kayes grandmother became her permanent caretaker at 7 when Kayes father started abusing her for being a transgender. At 13 years old, she started hormone replacement therapy with the help of her aunt. She is currently engaged to a Dutch from the Netherlands whose family has already welcomed and accepted her warmly.

When asked how differently she thinks things would have turned out without the hormone replacement therapy, she simply said Babae pa rin ako. Pagkababae ko ay buong buo. (Im still a woman. My being a woman remains whole.)

Getting it right

The burden and challenge of acceptance in a predominantly Catholic country is one that transgenders face every day. Acceptance and understanding both of the self and from others is all the more difficult without easy access to information.

This is especially true in the cases of Ira Nunez, 26, and Deiniel Cayosa, 22, who have both undergone hormone replacement therapy. Before undergoing the change, they both resented being called lesbians which labeled them as being different from how they saw themselves. Ira and Deiniel knew from a very young age that they were male.

Five months into his hormone replacement therapy, it was no longer immediately possible to see Ira as female. With hair cropped short, bristles on his chin and his loose dark polo shirt, he looked masculine enough.

It was difficult to get the therapy at first due to lack of information on sex changes. Neither were there communities which provided support for transgenders. He did not even know that the word "transgender" existed.

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LGBTs ask for equal rights