This is part of #KaraniwangLGBT, which Outrage Magazine officially launched on July 26, 2015 to offer vignettes of LGBT people/living, particularly in the Philippines, to give so-called “everyday people” – in this case, the common LGBT people – that chance to share their stories.
As Outrage Magazine editor Michael David C. Tan says: “All our stories are valid – not just the stories of the ‘big shots’. And it’s high time we start telling all our stories.”
Bunny is a 27 year old Makati-based (Diesel Street) transgender woman (At the risk of putting words in her mouth – Ed) – except that, sans knowledge of transgenderism, she considers herself as “isang hamak na bakla (a lowly/pitiful gay man)” who wants to be, and now lives as a woman.
She lost her virginity to a 13 year old when she was 10. She recalls bleeding profusely the first time she had sex. But not that she regretted it, as it was somewhat a rite of passage for her in her becoming a “desirable woman”.
She now makes a living by looking after two children, earning her from 100 pesos per day. She has a boyfriend in Laguna. And, no, unlike “ibang bakla na nagbibigay ng pera sa lalaki nila (other gay men who financially support their boyfriends), Bunny doesn’t send his boyfriend money. In fact, Bunny says, whenever he is able to, he sends her cash.
Asked to give a lesson for other LGBT people, Bunny turned serious: “Ang hirap kumita ng pera sa panahon ngayon, eh bakit ka mamimigay ng pera sa mga lalaki? Kung gusto ka nilang gamitin para lumigaya, at gusto mo rin naman, eh di patas lang. Hindi dahil bakla ka papaapi ka. Huwag papagamit. Dapat gamitin ang utak, wag tatanga-tanga (It’s so hard to earn money these days, so why do you give money to men? If they wanna use you to have fun, and you want the same, then fair is fair. Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you should let others abuse you. Don’t let people use you. Use your head, don’t be stupid).”
