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Miel Pangilinan defines herself as ‘pansexual’

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MJ Felipe

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:498px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1717394291250miel.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Miel Pangilinan. <em>Photo from her Instagram page</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- LGBTQIA+ allies and members celebrated with pride, when Miel Pangilinan came out as &quot;queer&quot; back in June 2022. </p><p>Speaking with ABS-CBN News, the 19-year-old daughter of Sharon Cuneta and Kiko Pangilinan explained why she labelled herself as &quot;queer&quot; and not &quot;gay.&quot; </p><p>“I just like to use ‘queer’ ‘cause it’s just an umbrella term or just somebody who doesn&#x27;t necessarily feel as though the existing labels fit them,” the yo\ung <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Pangilinan said</span>.  </p><p>But when we asked for a more specific label in the colorful spectrum of the community, she said: “I don’t really have a specific label, but the one thing that I feel more aligned with is parang ‘pansexual’.”</p><p>Based on definition from different websites, &quot;pansexuality&quot; is defined as an attraction to people of any gender or to people regardless of their gender, with the prefix “pan” coming from the Greek prefix for “all.”</p><p>With this, she said: “My attraction is not just limited to gender, or gender identity or presentation. Anybody talaga.”</p><p>The pronouns that she prefers are she/her or them/they. </p><p>In the interview, <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Pangilinan</span> recalled coming out to her parents during lockdown.</p><p>In mid-June 2022, she posted a photo of herself with the rainbow flag and came out as queer. </p><p>“Wala nang point to not say it. And it was Pride month, I thought I’d celebrate it as well,” she said. “My family have known na for a couple of years prior to me coming out. I was fairly open to everybody around me. I was already out to my friends, to my family, to everyone who needed to know.”</p><p>It took years of self-discovery for Pangilinan and the only person she confided with about her true identity was her sister Frankie.</p><p>“I feel like I’m not heterosexual. I’ve been talking to my sister (Frankie) about it, ‘cause I felt, I remember feeling so scared na parang like how do I tell them (parents),” she said.</p><p>“My sister Frankie has known for years. I told her na. She’s my best friend. She knows everything.”</p><p>It was during her 16th birthday back in September 2020, in the middle of pandemic lockdown, when Pangilinan found the right time to come out to her parents. The family was having dinner and she pulled her mom and dad on the side for the big reveal. </p><p>“Kinakabahan talaga ako kasi, not that my parents were outwardly homophobic - they are not. I’s scary to be that vulnerable with something that you’ve been keeping inside for so long,” she said.</p><p>“And then I told her, ‘Ma, I’m queer’. It took her a while to process it. And then after that she was so supportive. And it felt so wonderful and we cried together. It was just so nice to feel open again.”</p><p>And when she turned to her dad, “I realized that I already came out to my Dad. when I looked at him and I told him, ‘Dad, I&#x27;m gay,’ he said, ‘I know you told me when you were 13.” </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/06/15/22/sharon-cunetas-daughter-miel-comes-out-as-queer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sharon Cuneta&#x27;s daughter Miel comes out as &#x27;openly and publicly queer&#x27;</a></div><p>Pangilinan agreed that &quot;coming out&quot; is an internal process. </p><p>“My whole life motto or the way I live it is to try your best to be yourself as you can. And it was really difficult for me to be closeted,” she said.</p><p>Now celebrating her second Pride month, Pangilinan looks forward to celebrating with the rest of the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community, adding that she hasn’t attended any Pride events in the country. </p><p>“I’ve only been out for two years, so last year, I wasn’t able to. This year, I hope I can go,” she said.</p><p>Celebrating Pride month in the Philippines is extra festive and feels closer to home. </p><p>“I always love Pride month, I feel like especially here in the Philippines. I love queer culture here and I love being a part of it and I love experiencing it. Happy Pride!&quot; she said. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/24/22/sharon-proud-of-incredibly-confident-daughter-miel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sharon Cuneta proud of &#x27;incredibly confident&#x27; daughter Miel</a></div><div><strong>Related videos:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hle7PCrO1Q8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/08FKKDa0a6g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpCixv54Ei4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>LGBTQIA+ allies and members celebrated with pride, when Miel Pangilinan came out as queer back in June 2022.</p>

LGBTQIA+ allies and members celebrated with pride, when Miel Pangilinan came out as queer back in June 2022.