While the Philippines is still far away from fully accepting and understanding the LGBTQIA+ community, many are still proud to celebrate their pride and SOGIESC, especially during Pride Month.
Of course, as humans as they are, Filipino celebrities and personalities who are transmen and women have also joined the movement and some are proud to share their SOGIESC with the country.
Some even underwent sexual realignment surgeries, while some celebs chose to embrace their femininity and masculinity no matter their identities. Despite all these, their choices on how to embrace their SOGIESC do not make them any less of a transman and/or transwoman.
If anything, their choices make them models for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Check out this gallery to see some of the Filipino celebs and personalities who are proud transmen and transwomen:
Jake Zyrus is a Filipino singer who stepped into the limelight as young as 13 years old. After presenting herself as a cis-hetero woman for a long time, Jake Zyrus came out to the public as a transman in 2016 and eventually underwent top surgery to embrace his identity as a man.
One of the well-loved Filipino celebrities today is Ice Seguerra who first charmed the country with his cuteness as a child star and participant in a TV beauty pageant for kids in the early 2000s.
He came out as a lesbian in 2007 and confirmed his identity as a transman in 2014. He is now married to his loving wife, Liza Diño.
BB Gandanghari is perhaps one of the bravest transwomen to ever grace the country after she came out in 2009, which was an era when the Philippines was not yet fully understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community, let alone, transgender people.
On top of that, she was once a matinee idol and born to the Padilla clan who are known as some of the most sought-after leading men in showbiz.
Today, she is happily living her life as a U.S. citizen.
Last 2023, KaladKaren made history as the first transwoman to ever win the Best Supporting Actress Award at the Summer Metro Manila Film Festival for the movie 'Here Comes the Groom.'
For KaladKaren, this achievement was not only a recognition of her work but also her identity as a transwoman.
Kevin Balot is a transgender beauty queen who was the first trans to win a crown for the major international pageant Miss International Queen 2012.
Awra Briguela is a Filipina transwoman who is best known for her acting stints in a fair number of movies and TV shows since she first entered show business in 2015.
While the country loves her talents as an actress, she is not new to discrimination against transwomen. Last April, she had to address people's comments about her masculine physique despite presenting herself as a transwoman.
She said in an Instagram post, “I have the option to take pills, HRTs, and such but I chose not to. Why? 'cuz I'm still loving the fact that I can freely express both my masculine and feminine side…”
Renee Hampshire is probably one of the best comedians who made the country laugh with her wit and humor. After living her life as an impersonator of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, she now embraces her identity as a transwoman known as Renee Hampshire.
Mela Franco Habijan is a writer-content creator transwoman who starred in various TV series since 2018.
Jesi Corcuera is an actor-turned-vlogger who identifies as a transman. Jesi joined a GMA Network talent reality competition before his transition and only reappeared in the limelight when he joined another reality competition as a transman.
Rian Bacalla is also another product of a reality competition who celebrated her identity as a transwoman in a sentimental post this Pride Month.
She said, “I was once a gay not totally accepted by my family, and years forward, I've blossomed into a lady that I am now today.”
Angelina Mead King is a famous car enthusiast, businesswoman, and social media personality.
Her coming out in 2016 was widely celebrated, especially for the continued support of her wife, model Joey Mead King.
Nic Chien is the child of Broadway legend, 'Disney Princess', and Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga.
Having first realized he was transmasculine at age 14, Nic began hormone therapy in January of that year, followed by a successful top surgery in September 2025.
Hergie Bacdayan made history at the Paris 2024 Games, becoming the first transgender man from the Philippines to compete on the Olympic stage as a powerhouse representative of combat sports. He is happily married to Lady Denily Digo.