GeenaRocero:WhyImustcomeoutTheworldmakesyousomethingthatyou?renot,butyouknowinsidewhatyouare,andthatquestionburnsinyourheart:Howwillyoubecomethat?Imaybesomewhatuniqueinthis,butIamnotalone,notaloneatall.SowhenIbecameafashionmodel,IfeltthatdfinallyachievedthedreamthatdalwayswantedsinceIwasayoungchild.Myoutsideselffinallymatchedmyinnertruth,myinnerself.Forcomplicatedreasonswhichllgettolater,whenIlookatthispicture,atthattimeIfeltlike,Geena,you?vedoneit,you?vemadeit,youhavearrived.ButthispastOctober,Irealizedthatmonlyjustbeginning.Allofusareputinboxesbyourfamily,byourreligion,byoursociety,ourmomentinhistory,evenourownbodies.Somepeoplehavethecouragetobreakfree,nottoacceptthelimitationsimposedbythecoloroftheirskinorbythebeliefsofthosethatsurroundthem.Thosepeoplearealwaysthethreattothestatusquo,towhatisconsideredacceptable.Inmycase,forthelastnineyears,someofmyneighbors,someofmyfriends,colleagues,evenmyagent,didnotknowaboutmyhistory.Ithink,inmystery,thisiscalledthereveal.Hereismine.Iwasassignedboyatbirthbasedontheappearanceofmygenitalia.IrememberwhenIwasfiveyearsoldinPhilippineswalkingaroundourhouse,Iwouldalwayswearthist-shirtonmyhead.Andmymomaskedme,鈥Howcomeyoualwayswearthatt-shirtonyourhead?鈥Isaid,鈥Mom,thisismyhair.magirl.鈥Iknewthenhowtoself-identify.Genderhasalwaysbeenconsideredafact,immutable,butwenowknowit?sactuallymorefluid,complexandmysterious.Becauseofmysuccess,Ineverhadthecouragetosharemystory,notbecauseIthoughtwhatIamiswrong,butbecauseofhowtheworldtreatsthoseofuswhowishtobreakfree.Everyday,IwassogratefulbecauseIamawoman.IhaveamomanddadandfamilywhoacceptedmeforwhoIam.Manyarenotsofortunate.x0cThere?salongtraditioninAsianculturethatcelebratesthefluidmysteryofgender.ThereisaBuddhistgoddessofcompassion.ThereisaHindugoddess,hijragoddess.SowhenIwaseightyearsold,IwasatafiestainthePhilippinescelebratingthesemysteries.Iwasinfrontofthestage,andIremember,outcomesthisbeautifulwomanrightinfrontofme,andIrememberthatmomentsomethinghitme:ThatisthekindofwomenIwouldliketobe.SowhenIwas15yearsold,stilldressingasaboy,ImetthiswomannamedT.L.Sheisatransgenderbeautypageantmanager.Thatnightsheaskedme,鈥Howcomeyouarenotjoiningthebeautypageant?鈥SheconvincedmethatifIjoinedthatshewouldtakecareoftheregistrationfeeandthegarments,andthatnight,Iwonbestinswimsuitandbestinlonggownandplacedsecondrunnerupamong40-pluscandidates.Thatmomentchangedmylife.Allofasudden,Iwasintroducedtotheworldofbeautypageants.Notalotofpeoplecouldsaythatyourfirstjobisapageantqueenfortransgenderwomen,butlltakeit.Sofrom15to17yearsold,Ijoinedthemostprestigiouspageanttothepageantwhereit?satthebackofthetruck,literally,orsometimesitwouldbeapavementnexttoaricefield,andwhenitrains鈥攊trainsalotinthePhilippines鈥攖heorganizerswouldhavetomoveitinsidesomeone?shouse.Ialsoexperiencesthegoodnessofstrangers,especiallywhenwewouldtravelinremoteprovincesinthePhilippines.Butmostimportantly,Imetsomeofmybestfriendsinthatcommunity.In2001,mymom,whohadmovedtoSanFrancisco,calledmeandtoldmethatmygreencardpetitioncamethrough,thatIcou