Michael David dela Cruz Tan

The founder of Outrage Magazine, Michael David dela Cruz Tan is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) of the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. Though he grew up in Mindanao (particularly Kidapawan and Cotabato City in Maguindanao), even attending Roman Catholic schools there, he "really, really came out in Sydney," he says, so that "I sort of know what it's like to be gay in a developing and a developed world". Mick can: photograph, do artworks with mixed media, write (DUH!), shoot flicks, community organize, facilitate, lecture, research (with pioneering studies under his belt)... this one's a multi-tasker, who is even conversant in Filipino Sign Language (FSL). Among others, Mick received the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) in 2006 for Best Investigative Journalism. Cross his path is the dare (read: It won't be boring).

Stories By Michael David dela Cruz Tan

#KaraniwangLGBT3 days ago

Gay in the highlands

What is it like to be gay and belong to an ethnic tribe in the Philippines? For Romnick Ampi, he only knew of acceptance and being...
#KaraniwangLGBT3 weeks ago

All the world’s a salon

With many people belittling LGBTQIA people, trans hairdresser Maureen Mejia Chan says "we should consider making something of ourselves", such as by opening a business. And...
#KaraniwangLGBT1 month ago

Searching for Beauty

Trans hairdresser Bella Abac partially makes a living by joining beauty pageants, intending to do so for as long as her body can. It is in...
#KaraniwangLGBT1 month ago

Gay man in the street

Originally from Negros Occidental, Jorie Salvano Garnado now sells 'kakanin (snacks)' in the streets of Manila and Makati, with his earnings sustaining him and his family...
#KaraniwangLGBT1 month ago

Queen Bhee

Bhee Garcia, a trans woman hairdresser in Makati City, believes LGBTQIA people can be empowered by not focusing on negativities thrown their way. Once derided as...
#KaraniwangLGBT2 months ago

‘We’ll just keep rising up’

Khandie Segovia, a trans mother figure in Pasay City, has been through a lot in life, with her experiences shaping her somewhat contrarian beliefs. But through...
#KaraniwangLGBT2 months ago

Lesbian Lumad

What is it like to be a lesbian and also a part of an indigenous group? For Teng Calimpang, the Tagbawa ethnic group of people at...
#KaraniwangLGBT2 months ago

‘Tao rin kami’

Trans community leader from Caloocan City, Jenica Madridazon, may have been accepted by her family, but she knows this is not always true for every LGBTQIA...
#KaraniwangLGBT2 months ago

Be who you are

Lars Velasquez, a trans community leader in Barangay Sangandaan in Caloocan City, wasn't always openly accepted by members of her family. They eventually warmed to her;...