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Josiah Eleazar Antonio

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Photo from Miss Deliciousness&#x27; Facebook page" src="https://news-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com/api/upload-raw/20240327120336/3314b709801bb3f56984cd5b632d5b0c9aaa0f40d61be88be96b56e4b284564c.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><figcaption>Photo from Miss Deliciousness&#x27; Facebook page</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — With her victory as the Rising Star of the Year in the TikTok PH Awards 2023, Christy Tabanyag, more popularly known as Miss Deliciousness, is proof that trans women have become more visible in digital spaces.An engagement coach in the BPO industry, Tabanyag used her knack for entertaining people and her regular work to sustain the needs of her family but her new-found voice had a bigger responsibility to carry on. Miss Deliciousness told ABS-CBN News how she grew up in a loving environment and hopes to inspire people -- not just members of the LGBT community.&quot;Nandito na naman ako sa pagiging content creator ko because … we fight for everyone’s right. We are not asking for a special treatment, we all want fair treatment, right? And we also want to practice our basic human rights –- mapa-babae man &#x27;yan, mapa-lalaki, mapa-tomboy, mapa-bakla –- everyone should have, at least, experience equal opportunity,&quot; Tabanyag said.&quot;Kung ano talaga &#x27;yung sa totoong buhay, pinapakita ko lang online, pinapakita ko lang sa social media. &#x27;Yun &#x27;yun. So, parang fulfilling para sa part ko kasi I was able to represent the LGBT community, the trans community and of course, &#x27;yung mga taong mahirap mag-kumbaga express sa sarili nila. Hindi lang sa LGBT pero sa lahat ng member ng society, mababae, malalaki. So, parang sinasabi ko talaga always na if you want to do something, if you know na what you can do, do it,&quot; she added.<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3000600"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div>&#x27;NO COMING OUT NEEDED&#x27;</div>For Miss Deliciousness, she did not had the need to come out to her parents. &quot;Sa ’kin, &#x27;di ko naranasan &#x27;yung grabeng diskriminasyon from the family [sa] pag-come out ko as a Disney princess. Mas iniisip ko pa ang sinasabi ng ibang tao outside our home. Umabot ako sa point na &#x27;Lord, sana naman, maging straight ako na lalaki. Sana maging tunay na lang ako na lalaki para hindi ko mapahiya ang pamilya ko.&#x27; Ta&#x27;s sumagot naman si Lord sabi niya, &#x27;Sure ka na ba?&#x27; Charot lang,&quot; Tabanyag told ABS-CBN News.In fact, she also has a lesbian sister whom she usually exchanged toys with when they were young.&quot;Dati pa talaga, bata pa kami, kahit nung mga like elementary days namin, if we receive gifts, nag-exchange kami. Kami &#x27;yung literal na na-exchange gift. Kasi &#x27;yung gini-gift sa akin, mga robot, mga cars, &#x27;yung mga ganun. Tapos sa kanya naman, mga Barbie and everything. Hindi nila alam &#x27;yung mga nabibigay na ano, &#x27;ay eto pala &#x27;yung preference, ito pala ang gusto niya.&#x27; So, ang ginagawa namin, or ng parents namin, nag-exchange kami. Nag-barter kami &#x27;yung dalawa. Sa akin na &#x27;yung Barbie, saka sa kanya naman &#x27;yung mga robot-robot, saka mga karu,&quot; she added.Growing up, Tabanyag had no worries about her family&#x27;s acceptance but was challenged when her father told her to prove critics wrong about the LGBT community by being an achiever in school. &quot;I worked hard na maging honor student talaga from elementary hanggang nag-college ako. &#x27;Yung mother ko naman nagbigay ng overwhelming confidence sa akin na &#x27;uy, show your talents, ipakita mo &#x27;yung talents mo sa ibang tao.&#x27; ... Nung graduation, hindi ko malilimutan din. Parang ni-remind sa akin ni father na binulong niya sa akin. &#x27;O, tingnan mo ngayon. Sa&#x27;n tayo nakaupo? &#x27;Di ba nasa harap? Tapos, &#x27;yung mga nagsasabing bakla ka lang, nasa&#x27;n sila ngayon? Nasa likod natin. Pinapanood tayo na sinasabitan kita ng medal,&#x27;&quot; she recalled.After graduation, Miss Deliciousness was amazed at how her parents raised her as a strong and independent child and vowed to help them in her siblings&#x27; education.  Tabanyag started transitioning after she graduated. &quot;Nag-cross-dress na ako, napapahaba na ako nung buhok nung college. Pero like, nung nagti-take talaga ng pills, ng hormonal, mga injections, after na ng graduation. Nung nag-work na ako, du&#x27;n ako nag-start mag-take na hormonal pills. And, as you can see right now, I am a Disney princess and I&#x27;m grateful talaga sa family ko na very understanding and nag-accept talaga, for who, what, when, where I am,&quot; she said.But this also came with challenges, especially in terms of finances and acceptance outside of her family&quot;Una talaga yung pera... We need to do something or we need to take something in order for us to have like this, physical na aura... Second is, &#x27;yung ano nga, judgment ng tao. So, parang marinig mo na you are ...trying hard maging babae, in the first place, hindi ka talaga magiging babae.&#x27; Ganun yung maririnig mo,&#x27;&quot; she added.Miss Deliciousness was fed up with the critics and realized how she should just focus on herself.&quot;For many people, discrimination is an everyday reality. Especially sa mga LGBT community, sa mga brothers and sisters natin sa LGBT, right? Lalo na sa panahon talaga namin, grabe. Grabe &#x27;yung panlalait. Grabe &#x27;yung pambu-bully sa mga akla. Before, unfair talaga &#x27;yung treatment. Minsan, pinapahiya. Kaso nga lang, hindi ko &#x27;yun naranasan sa family ko. However, we cannot really please everybody. Meron talagang mga tao na susubok sa pasensya mo, sa pagkatao mo. Pero, palagi ko lang talagang iniisip din na be kind to animals. Chariz lang. Be kind to animals. So, parang iniisip mo na lang na siguro ang pangit ng childhood nila. Tsareng lang. Or siguro, baka kulang lang &#x27;to sa Tiki-Tiki. Or kulang lang &#x27;to sa bakuna. Baka kaya ito &#x27;yung mga pinaggagawa sa mga akla,&quot; she said.&quot;So, if every time na parang may naririnig ako na ganun, or may nangba-bash sa akin, or may nangbu-bully about my identity, about my physical appearance, hindi ko siya masyadong parang iniisip. Hindi ako nagpapa-apekto doon sa sasabihin ng ibang tao. Again, I focused more in improving myself. Kasi parang sampal &#x27;yun sa kanila na wala kang pakialam sa kanila. Tapos, may nakita silang, &#x27;ay, hala! may na-achieve si akla.&#x27; So, parang okay. Sige, hindi ko na lang siya ibu&#x27;-bully, kasi ay, meron pala tong kinahinatnan &#x27;yung mga pinaggagawa niya ngayon.&quot;<div>&#x27;MAKING USE OF YOUR TALENT&#x27;</div>Graduating with a degree in accounting technology from the University of Mindanao – Panabo College, Tabanyag didn&#x27;t plan to become a content creator but her quick wit convinced her to post on social media.&quot;I love entertaining people, like &#x27;yung shine-share ko &#x27;yung blessing na binigay ni Lord sa akin, &#x27;yung talent ko which is &#x27;yung dancing, hosting, and minsan nga nag-stand-up comedy ako. So, bet ko lang talaga dati is &#x27;yung parang mag-perform or mag-entertain na may nakikita akong audience, like may physical audience. Kasi minsan naco-conscious ako sa camera eh, may pagka-shy type ako ‘pag may camera na,&quot; she said.&quot;Noong kasagsagan ng pandemic, if you noticed lahat ng mga atake natin online na, digital na. So from communication, transactions, pleasure, at kahit mga passion natin, doon na natin ine-express online. Noong kasagsagan o noong nag-trend na ang TikTok,&quot; she added.Her funny antics made her a viral sensation, giving her the name Miss Deliciousness because of her translations of Filipino food.&quot;Nag-start ako talaga like doing the dance challenges, tapos &#x27;yung pagdu-dubing at saka lipsync, pinatulan ko rin &#x27;yan. Tapos, one day or one time noong birthday ng friendship ko, du&#x27;n sa party, parang ang ginawa namin nag-Facebook Live lang kami. Habang nag-Facebook Live, so nagkatuwaan na nga, tinanong ako ng isang friendship ko &#x27;what’s the taste of the gulaman na green?&#x27; &#x27;yung kinakain ko that time. Then, sabi ko, &#x27;ay hala English si accla, nag-English na ang question. So I have to answer it in English.&#x27; So sabi ko talaga, &#x27;It taste like… MILK.&#x27; Oh tapos yun na, &#x27;great and tasteful.&#x27; And then may follow-up question ang mga viewers natin, which is tatlo lang naman ang nagvi-view talaga ng Facebook Live,&quot; Tabanyag said.What started as content for entertainment grew to become an inspirational story when she opened up about her coming out story and struggles as a trans woman in a podcast. This pushed Tabanyag to use her platform to educate people about the LGBT community.&quot;I want to share my story. So parang pinush ko siya na platform kasi parang mas ma-widen pa &#x27;yung audience ko. Hindi lang &#x27;yun sa Gen Z na side, but those people na mahilig makinig ng music or mga podcast sa Spotify or sa anumang platforms,&quot; Tabanyag said.&quot;Kahit ilang episode palang &#x27;yun, &#x27;di ko in-expect din na &#x27;yung mga story ko papatok pala. I mean, merong palang makaka-relate sa akin. Kasi di ba, if I’m not sure if nakita mo &#x27;yung episode na I shared my coming out story. Kasi dati, ang hirap mag-come out, to be honest. Meron akong mga friendship na grabe ang pagpapahiya sa kanila, to the point na binugbog na sila. So, &#x27;yung diskriminasyon towards LGBT hindi lang sa trans, sa lahat ng member ng LGBT that time malala. Pero, in my case kasi, hindi ko pinagdaanan &#x27;yun. I mean, I am so lucky that I have very supportive parents,&quot; she added.Asked where she got her quick wit, Tabanyag explained: &quot;Basta ang alam ko lang, kung ano &#x27;yung nasa isip ko, sinasabi ko na agad. Kahit sa mga hosting, kahit sa mga guesting, or ano man yang pinaano or impromptu na ‘yan. Minsan, hindi ko na talaga … ma-remember kung ano &#x27;yung pinagsasabi ko. Unless, pag na-video mo, doon ko na mare-realize, &#x27;Oh my God! Nasabi ko pala yun. Oh my God! &#x27;Yun pala ang mga linyahan ko kanina. Kaya pala tuwang-tuwa &#x27;tong mga audience natin kasi ganito ganyan.” <div>&#x27;RECOGNITION MEANS MORE VISIBILITY&#x27;</div>Her nomination as TikTok PH 2023 Rising Star of the Year came to a surprise. While it was an honor for her, Tabanyag did not expect to win.&quot;Actually, I&#x27;m so overwhelmed. Kasi, yes, I love entertaining people. Pero hindi ko talaga peg &#x27;yung parang ako always nasa spotlight... Ayoko talaga yung masyadong... &#x27;yung kumbaga, iniidolo ako or masyadong basta &#x27;yung OA na &#x27;yung pagka-faney. Kasi, as much as possible din, gusto ko lang ipakita sa kanila na I&#x27;m just being authentic or just being genuine lang,&quot; Miss Deliciousness said.&quot;Ang saya ko. Promise. Ang saya ko talaga. Kasi, naka-receive lang ako ng e-mail noon eh, na I was nominated as TikTok Rising Star. And then, una, parang hindi ko pa agad ma-digest na, ha, totoo ba to? I mean, TikTok PH Rising Star of the Year? Are you the correct? Charot lang. Kasi nga, sa dami-dami ba naman ng content creator ngayon, tapos ako, probinsyana,  kakalipad ko lang from Davao. I mean, mga ilang months na ako, or isang taon na ata ako dito sa Manila. Tapos, nung-nominate ako as TikTok Rising Star, are you kidding me? Charot lang. So, hindi pa talaga ako makapaniwala that time. So, kinonfirm ko sa management ko that time na, totoo ba to? Keme-keme siya. Yes, you were nominated. Oh, my God,&quot; she added.&quot;Nung time na tinawag na yung pangalan ko, TikTok Rising Star of the Year, Miss Deliciousness, mhie, &#x27;yung kaba ko napamura talaga ako. Sabi ko nga sa mga friendship ko and sa mga taong nagtatanong sa akin na how&#x27;s the feeling, anong feeling talaga nung tinawag &#x27;yung pangalan mo. Grabe, parang nag-blackout ako. Iba &#x27;yung panginginig ko, iba &#x27;yung kaba ko that time. Sabi ko nga, hindi naman, sanay naman ako sa harap ng ibang tao.&quot;As a member of the LGBT community, Miss Deliciousness felt like her victory is proof that being true to yourself is important.&quot;I want to thank TikTok PH for recognizing my effort and letting me express ourselves on this platform. Kasi nga, hindi naman lahat nabibigyan ng spotlight or ng platform para ma-express &#x27;yung sarili or siguro, parang walang confidence to do it. But with TikTok, my God, lahat pwede, right?&quot; Tabanyag said.&quot;This is very special to me because... being authentic is not easy. Feeling ko lang, this is a true testament, na one day, you’ll find your right audience. One day, you will shine so bright without changing yourself to the satisfaction of others. So parang, sila talaga yung nagbigay sa &#x27;kin ng shine. You made me shine. You made us shine light to the LGBT community. And you made my forehead shine. Charot lang!&quot; she added.<div>&#x27;MORE VISIBILITY IN DIGITAL SPACES&#x27;</div>For Tabanyag, representation gives audience a chance to see themselves on screen.&quot;Having representation in the digital space or like in the social media, or kahit sa media is a very powerful tool for shaping cultural understanding or mindset of people or groups of people like us. I really appreciate sa panahon ngayon kasi dati iba talaga eh. I really appreciate sa panahon ngayon na ma-recognize, hindi lang &#x27;yung community natin, but also other marginalized sectors of the society. Like the single moms, the differently abled natin na mga kapatid, and also people from indigenous communities, nabibigyan sila ng pansin ngayon,&quot; the content creator said.&quot;So, with the digital space, kailangan talaga ng may representation because we can express ourselves and educate everyone with our situation right now. And we can also practice … kumbaga we can practice our causes, advocating inclusivity, diversity, and most especially equity. Yon! At least man lang, makita ng tao, &#x27;yung mga pinagdaanan natin. Baka, may chance pa baka magbago yung mindset ng tao. So, it’s really important to have representation sa digital space,&quot; she added.With this Miss Deliciousness hopes people would be more accepting of members of the LGBT community and recognize the chosen identity of her trans brothers and sisters.&quot;I am already in my stage or in my point na napapagod na ako mag-explain sa ibang tao na hindi naman willing intindihin ang side namin,&quot; Tabanyag said.&quot;Sometimes, they’ll just listen like makikinig sila, pero naghahanap pa rin sila ng paraan para kwestyunin &#x27;yung pagkatao mo. Parang love lang kasi &#x27;yan eh. Sabi nila, you cannot really explain or you cannot describe love kasi nga, emosyon siya, feeling siya. Parang &#x27;yun din nga yung sa ’min. Parang ang saya-saya namin &#x27;pag nandito kami. Parang, ito &#x27;yung sinusunod lang namin &#x27;yung kung saan kami masaya. At the same time, wala naman kaming tinatapakang tao, wala naman kaming sinasaktan, right? At least, being able to express what we are and share our stories, at the same time to be seen by others in different platforms, will widen one’s perception about every individual’s identity or existence,&quot; she added.&quot;That’s the reality na sana maintindihan ng ibang tao. Hindi ko naman dine-deny &#x27;yung thought or hindi ko naman kinakalimutan na pinanganak ako or iniluwal ako sa katawang panlalaki. I really feel na babae ako. I feel like a woman. That’s the reason why l also try my best to look like a woman. Nag-transition talaga ako. If you see me differently, well, it’s fine. We have different principles, we have different beliefs, opinions. I will try my best to educate you or to educate everyone about my identity. But if you will not believe kung ano talaga &#x27;yung pinaniniwalaan ko, hindi rin kita ifo-force. I will not force you if you will not believe me.&quot;Finding her voice on social media, Tabanyag hopes to convince members of the LGBT community to not be afraid in embracing their queerness.&quot;I know you are tired proving yourselves to other people at sa mga diskriminasyon na binabato sa ’tin. I’m with you guys. But remember to always be kind. &#x27;Yun ang sinabi ko kanina, di ba? Be kind to animals. Always remember to be kind kasi kahit sinusubok tayo ng panahon, there’s no wrong or right person. But being kind will make you a better person,&quot; the content creator said.&quot;So, &#x27;yung parang &#x27;yung naging mindset ko. And, of course, you need to seek support systems talaga. So, aside from my family, I have also true friends talaga na tumulong sa akin. Kumbaga, nag-boost ng confidence. Kasi hindi ko na kailangan mag-come out eh. Baklang-bakla na talaga ako. Pero there are times na you will feel demotivated or parang ayaw mo nang ilabas kung ano man yung gusto mong gawin sa buhay. Like showing your talent, dancing, o ano man yung mga trip mo sa buhay,&quot; she added.&quot;Sayang yung mga talent sa bigyan ni Lord sa&#x27;yo kung hindi niyo ipapakita. Tapos, you don&#x27;t need parang validation ng ibang tao. Basta kami napapasaya mo, we love you. We have enough reason to move forward.&quot;

With her victory as the Rising Star of the Year in the TikTok PH Awards 2023, Christy Tabanyag, more popularly known as Miss Deliciousness, is proof that trans women have become more visible in digital spaces.

With her victory as the Rising Star of the Year in the TikTok PH Awards 2023, Christy Tabanyag, more popularly known as Miss Deliciousness, is proof that trans women have become more visible in digital spaces.

Miss Deliciousness provides more visibility for trans women in digital space

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Miss Deliciousness provides more visibility for trans women in digital space

Josiah Eleazar Antonio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 27, 2024 08:38 PM PHT

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Updated Mar 31, 2024 09:33 AM PHT

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Christy Tabanyag

Miss Deliciousness

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