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".
