Even as the gay and lesbian communities experience something of a global revolution in terms of being granted more rights and protection from discrimination, transgender people may be facing a significantly steeper uphill battle. While many of even the most conservative people have come to accept that they may have to share intimate spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms with gays and lesbians, we’re all still squabbling over which bathrooms transgender people should use and which pronoun to call them by.
Discrimination against transgender individuals is particularly fierce in devoutly Catholic Philippines, where hormones – and presumably also surgeries – that are essential to the transgender “transformation” process are routinely denied to those who want them. But the transgender rights group Pinoy Female-to-Male (Pinoy MTF) – composed of naturally born women who identify as male – may have found an ideal spokesmen to help in their fight.
Nick, who was born a woman but used hormone therapy to achieve a pretty amazing transition in appearance, is getting a lot of media attention in his native Philippines after appearing on the popular current affairs news show, Bandila. In addition to showing viewers the amazingly drastic effects hormone therapy can have, Nick also explained that he had to go through back channels to acquire the drugs.
Nick before (left) and after (right) therapy:
Doctors say unsupervised hormone therapy is unsafe because of a variety of potentially harmful side effects, including heart attacks – which we can all agree are totally no fun. Still, with extreme restrictions on the drugs in the Philippines, most transgender individuals who want them have to source them from overseas and take them in secret. For these reasons, Nick and Pinoy MTF say one of their major hopes is to spread awareness and help make hormone therapy drugs more accessible.
Surprisingly, the Philippines is one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world according to Pew Research Data, which makes the wide – and apparently primarily faith-based – discrimination against transgender people even more jarring. Here’s hoping Nick and Pinoy MTF see success in their crusade!
Here’s the Bandila clip (Some English, but mostly Tagalog).
Source: Yahoo! Philippines
Photos: Bandila via YouTube
Transgender Japanese YouTuber criticizes LGBT demonstration held in downtown Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Godiva now makes tofu in Japan, and sakura chocolate tofu too![Taste test]
Bat soup in Palau is pretty intense
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
Japanese women show overwhelming resistance to unisex bathrooms in survey
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says