Gay Filipino in History: Kevin Balot

 

Kevin Balot

First Filipino Transgender International Pageant Titleholder

Kevin Roxas Balot is a Filipino transgender model, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned Miss International Queen 2012, making her the first Filipino transgender woman to win the pageant.

Early Years and Education

Kevin Balot was born on September 25, 1991, in Tarlac to Renato Balot and Liberty Roxas.  She has two sisters namely Karen and Kimberly. Her father, Renato, encouraged her to pursue engineering as a child. Balot struggled to gain acceptance from her family because of these and other gendered standards, such as criticism for wearing makeup.

She lived alone after high school and competed in LGBTQIA++ beauty pageants to pay for her nursing education. She was a volunteer nurse in 2012 and holds a bachelor's degree in nursing. She also agreed to work as an English teacher in Thailand that year.

Life as a Beauty Queen

Balot was crowned Miss International Queen in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2012. She won US$13,000 and a free gender-affirming surgery if she so desired. This offer was later accepted by Balot.

Balot joined Pantene as an ambassador for their #StrongerNow campaign in 2018.

Filmography 

In the 2016 movie Die Beautiful, she portrayed Tonet. She also appeared in the 2019 music video for Donnalyn Bartolome's song "Di Lahat" and in the 2015 television series "Luv U".

Dinagyang History: Champion Tribes Street Dance and Introduction Movements Through The Years

 

These are the different street and introduction movements of Dinagyang champion tribes through the years.

Video courtesy of: FESTIVALicious Facebook Page

Gay Filipino in History - Biniboys

 Biniboys

First Filipino Group of Transvestites

Most likely, "Biniboys" alludes to the Biniboys Ball, a 1957 social event for transsexual people in the Philippines, specifically in Pasay, Manila.  A Facebook post referred to it as the first-ever exclusive party for transvestites.

In the middle of the 1950s, transvestites and crossdressers frequently frequented Dewey Boulevard in search of fun and easy cash at the cost of gullible travelers.  Mayor Arsenio Lacson had to order the police to step up their campaign against these "biniboys" since they became so out of hand.

In February 1957, a group of transvestites organized the first-ever Biniboys Ball, an elite celebration in Pasay, to better their reputation in the community.  The dance celebration invited transvestites from all across Manila, and many of them showed up in their finest attire, accompanied by their male companions.

Thanks to the Biniboys of Pasay, the Biniboys Ball made for good public relations news and momentarily gave the general public peace of mind that not all of their type engaged in dubious activities.

Inside the NHCP Museum of Philippine Maritime History

These are the pictures and videos taken inside the NHCP Museum of Philippine Maritime History last June 15, 2025 at around 11:00 am.