Man enough to be a woman

He wanted to be a girl.

Today, she towers and not because of her height or her heels. Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman walks tall because she aimed high — high enough to reach her full potential.

And her full potential, she realized before she learned her ABCs, was trapped in a body that wasn’t hers.

“My hair used to be long when I was a toddler. Then when I was about two or three, my mother had it trimmed. So one day, I put a diaper over my head like a veil, went to the electric fan, and then swung my head from left to right, the diaper’s edges bouncing like long tresses!” recalled Geraldine, daughter of Herminia and the late Antonino Roman Jr., during a shoot for PeopleAsia magazine.

Geraldine with some of her fellow ‘Women of Style and Substance’ 2016 awardees Maureen Disini, Sheree Chua (seated) and STAR’s Christine Dayrit. Photo by MONICA TIOSEJO

Statuesque, regal and fair-skinned, she turned heads as she entered the Executive Suite of Raffles Makati. Later, when she changed into a Rosa Clara gown for the photo shoot, someone in the room remarked, “She looks like a princess!”

I myself was taken by her beauty, her charm, and the fact that she dares to be herself. Sometimes, being oneself is success enough.

Geraldine, who belongs to Ateneo HS ‘84, believes that those who want to be of a different gender are born that way.

“Who would want to be born wanting to be someone you’re not?” she points out. Acceptance from family and friends is not automatic.

Geraldine, the first transgender woman to be elected to the Philippine House of Representatives, explains further. “Remember this acronym SOGI. It stands for sexual orientation and gender identity. Sexual orientation is your sexual preference and gender identity is whether you want to be physically a man or a woman.” You may want to look like a woman, but you prefer making love to a woman, too. Or you may look like a macho man, but prefer having another man as a mate.

In her case, Geraldine said she wanted to look like a woman and fall in love with a man.

Fortunately, Geraldine’s family has always been supportive of her choices, even her father and brothers. Her Jesuit-educated teachers didn’t condemn her, either. “They trusted my discernment.”

In an interview with STAR columnist Wilson Lee Flores, Geraldine said her top three priorities in Congress are: “First, the socio-economic welfare of my district and my province Bataan; second, human rights, such as the anti-discrimination law and LGBT rights; third, agriculture.”

* * *

Twenty-four years ago, Geraldine (who used to be “Gerardo”) underwent a surgical procedure to make her a woman. Today, her passport not only says “Geraldine,” it also lists her sex as “Female.”

Yesterday, Geraldine walked down the red carpet as a member of the 17th Congress to hear President Duterte’s State of the Nation Address. She wished there was no “knee-length” dress code, because she wanted to display Philippine wear at its best. But just like a good soldier, she abided by the dress code.

But that’s Geraldine Roman for you. She’s man enough to be a woman. And woman enough to dress like a man.

* * *

Geraldine in Congress. AP

I personally do not believe same-sex marriages should be allowed in the Philippines just yet. But I cannot object to something just because I cannot identify with it. I do not know the hell of a woman trapped in a man’s body, or a man trapped in a woman’s body, and not being able to free herself/himself. But I can imagine how difficult it must be to pretend to be someone you’re not, to kiss a person you’re not attracted to. As Geraldine says, who wants to go through that? My homosexual friends, almost to a man, had an initial tough time being accepted by their respective fathers.

It is easier to be born heterosexual, because there are less questions, and less explanations.

But who says you can’t be yourself despite the challenges, the questions and the explanations? Just look at Geraldine Roman. I don’t think she would have made a mark, or would have drawn the same attention to her advocacies, if she were somebody other than herself.

Camaraderie through the spirit of service

The past presidents of the Inner Wheel Club of Manila include Tina Carlos, Tess Amparo, Marissa Fenton, Daisy Payumo, Tess Tumangan, Beth Sison Tagle, Dolly Gupit, Monette Guevara, Piluchi Atayde, Fortune Ledesma, Fanny Blanco, Gigi Calero, Mitzi Piad and Drina Ampil. Not in photo are Etta Mendez, Myrna Hallare, Lita Gono, Tonette Humphries and Marilen Espiritu.

Sen. Cynthia Villar will induct the officers of the District 381 past presidents of the Inner Wheel Club of Manila, a 67-year-old, all-women socio-civic club, on July 28, 5 p.m. at Makati Shangri-La.

The officers are president Beth Sison Tagle who served as president of the Inner Wheel Club of Manila from 1999 to 2000, past District 381 chairman and handled 22 clubs from 2005 to 2006; first vice president Marissa Fenton; second vice president Fortune Ledesma; secretary Piluchi Atayde; assistant secretary Drina Ampil; treasurer Fanny Blanco; and assistant treasurer Tess Amparo.

The board of directors are Monette Guevara, Tina Carlos, Tess Tumangan, Marilen Espiritu, Myrna Hallare, Dolly Gupit, Daisy Payumo, Lita Gono, Gigi Calero and Tonette Humphries.

The IWCM is very active in giving support to the Center for Mental Health (female pavilion). Its other projects include feeding program, day care center among other livelihood and scholarship programs.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)