While every corner of the internet has seen discussion regarding the upcoming presidential elections of the United States, another national election on the other side of the world is coming to a close. The Philippines, home to a good 102 million people, now await the final results of the much-publicized race. In addition to electing the new president, vice-president, and senate members, citizens also cast their votes for their local representatives, such as mayor, vice-mayor, councilors, and the like. This, of course, includes the appointing of the newest members of congress—and one farming district in the central region of the main island Luzon has just made history by electing the Philippines’ first out transgender politician.
With a landslide 106,015 votes (out of 170,658 votes in Bataan), it was only last Wednesday that 49 year-old Geraldine Roman earned her congressional seat. “The politics of bigotry, hatred, and discrimination did not triumph. What triumphed was the politics of love, acceptance, and respect,” she said in an interview. Thanks to its deep-seated Spanish roots, the Philippines is now one of the only two nations in Asia (along with East Timor) that is predominantly Catholic, meaning that a great number of Filipinos frown upon abortion, divorce, and same-sex marriage. While gay, lesbian, and bisexual citizens have become a normal part of the Philippine society (as people have become more accepting and the number of prominent figures who are out are growing), the same can’t be said for the other members of the LGBTQ community. Geraldine aims to combat the LGBTQ stereotype in which people assume them as frivolous and all fun and games, proving that not only do they have substantial things to say, but are substantial people in general. Additionally, she is a devout Catholic, and aims to show the naysayers that religion and sexuality are not irreconcilable. “You can reconcile the fact that you are Catholic and that you are true to yourself,” she said. She also once said that she firmly believes that Jesus Christ would not approve of discrimination if he were still alive today.
In a country where political dynasties are rampant from the national level to the local level, many believe that this is where she owes her success to, as Geraldine was born the second child of a political family. Her father Antonino Roman Jr. also represented the first district of Bataan in congress from 1998 to 2007, and was succeeded by Geraldine’s mother Herminia Roman. Geraldine states that it took no amount of convincing to get her to run for congress, as what she only wanted to do was continue what her parents had started for the people of Bataan. Under the banner of the Liberal Party, she ran and promised to make equality the heart of her advocacy—E, for education; Q and U, for quality; A, for agriculture; L, for livelihood; I, for infrastructure of quality; T, for transparency in government; and Y, for the youth.
Geraldine underwent her sexual reassignment surgery and legally changed her name in the 1990s. As for her background, Geraldine went to grade school and high school in the Jesuit-run Ateneo De Manila University, and took up her undergraduate studies at the University of the Philippines. She later on earned a scholarship to study journalism at Universided del Pais Vasco in Spain, and went on to become a Senior Editor at the Spanish News Agency. She speaks five languages and holds two masters degrees. Additionally, it was in Spain that she met and married the love of her life, who she has been happily married to for 18 years. In 2012, she went home to care for her ailing father Antonino, who later passed away. She said that that event had become the deciding factor for her, finally convincing her to run for congress. She is the highest-ranked LGBTQ official in the Philippines. Other lawmakers who may be part of the LGBTQ community are hesitant to come out due to the possible rejection of the citizens and the Catholic church. Geraldine, however, aims to prove that they as well can be productive citizens.
One of the most significant promises of Geraldine Roman is to disestablish the law enacted in 2001 that prevented transgender Filipinos from legally changing their name and their sex. Additionally, one of her main focuses will be the provision of education and scholarships to the poor students of Bataan, stating that equality is not just a problem for gender and sexuality, but also on a socioeconomic basis. She also looks to continue the improvement of medical assistance and improvement of roads and infrastructure that her family has been helping their region with for three generations.
Now a beacon of hope and inspiration to the LGBTQ Filipino citizens, Geraldine says that she is aiming to be the best legislator she can possibly be. She, along with many other people, hope that this historic win could become a stepping stone to a more widespread acceptance of members of the LGBTQ community in the Philippines.
