Rustom Padilla is dead. Or so said BB Gandanghari. I was one of the bloggers who signed up for a chance to meet the emerging style icon in person. Actually, this is not the first time I saw BB Gandanghari in physical form. (She and her group dined at La Cocina de Tita Moning a few weeks ago and I was their tour guide twice in a row.) The meeting place was at Mag:Net Cafe, Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City. Date was March 14. There had been a mini presscon and the bloggers got to ask Ms. Gandanghari some personal questions. She gamely answered each one and even took time to let the bloggers take some pictures with her. Learn more about BB Gandanghari after the jump...
meet the lady who works to be what she wants to be
From being straight and married to actress Carmina Villaroel, Rustom Padilla came out in the open and announced to the world that he was gay. That was a few years ago. Recently, Rustom Padilla was proclaimed dead and BB Gandanghari was born. They are the same person but with different sexuality. BB Gandanghari is a transgendered. Career-wise, she was able to pull off a successful comeback in the local showbiz industry with pictorials, tapings, magazine covers, public tours and the likes. When it comes to gender issues, like if she will help champion the cause of the lesbian, gay and bisexual transgendered (LGBT) community in the Philippines or better yet, emerge as one of its icons, I guess we'll find out soon.
10 Fast Facts About BB Gandanghari
1. BB made her first public appearance at the 31st Gawad Urian on October 1, 2008, when she presented the Best Actor Award. She was then simply “Gandanghari.”
2. Gandanghari is a real name. According to BB herself, she once saw a girl in UST who was named Gandanghari and she liked the name so much she decided to use it for herself.
3. The name BB is short for Binibini. It is also a contraction of BB's motto: “Be all that you can be.”
4. BB loves white wine and fresh fruit. She can go for a long time eating just those.
5. During photoshoots, BB loves to have mood music playing in the background. She especially likes sentimental music by Basil Valdez and Rey Valera, and the song “Alipin” by Shamrock.
6. Because she believes that taking the stairs in her high heels is a way to lose weight, BB doesn't like to use the elevator.
7. BB's height is 5'11'' and she says her vital statistics are 36-25-36.
8. Iman, BB's black Labrador, is named after a famous Somali fashion model.
9. Audrey Hepburn is BB's favorite fashion icon and style inspiration.
10. Updates on BB's activities may be found on gandanghari.thepoc.net.
The pseudo-interview questions from the bloggers went from broad topics such as religion, politics and gay rights to casual ones such as lifestyle (e.g. diets, sports, beauty regimen, etc.), showbiz career, present activities and hobbies. Later on, I found out that BB is sociable, an intellectual and has a good sense of humor. She's also very optimistic and you can easily tell that she has a strong faith in God.
statuesque BB with the Superfriends
several bloggers in attendance
Acceptance, especially in a conservative society like ours, doesn't come naturally. Before one can gain respect, he has to earn it by proving himself. In the case of BB Gandanghari, she admitted having experienced ridicule and received nasty comments from strangers, but she respected their opinions. It's a good thing a lot of people, Filipinos for that matter, are now more open-minded and respectful of the changes in their surroundings, particularly if these changes are found in the behavior, lifestyle or even sexuality of other persons.
Personally, I admire BB Gandanghari for the change she was able to embrace and apply into his life. Not many from his breed have flaunted their true identity for the world to know and accept. It's all a matter of guts and faith, and Ms. Gandanghari has lots of those.
BB Gandanghari flashing a smile
BB's nice shoes
Indeed, it was a delightful afternoon with BB Gandanghari who's very charming and refined, like every lady should be.
Thank you to Tita Dine and Tita Noemi of FilipinaImages.com for the invite and to the Philippine Online Chronicles for sponsoring the event. :)
From being straight and married to actress Carmina Villaroel, Rustom Padilla came out in the open and announced to the world that he was gay. That was a few years ago. Recently, Rustom Padilla was proclaimed dead and BB Gandanghari was born. They are the same person but with different sexuality. BB Gandanghari is a transgendered. Career-wise, she was able to pull off a successful comeback in the local showbiz industry with pictorials, tapings, magazine covers, public tours and the likes. When it comes to gender issues, like if she will help champion the cause of the lesbian, gay and bisexual transgendered (LGBT) community in the Philippines or better yet, emerge as one of its icons, I guess we'll find out soon.
10 Fast Facts About BB Gandanghari
1. BB made her first public appearance at the 31st Gawad Urian on October 1, 2008, when she presented the Best Actor Award. She was then simply “Gandanghari.”
2. Gandanghari is a real name. According to BB herself, she once saw a girl in UST who was named Gandanghari and she liked the name so much she decided to use it for herself.
3. The name BB is short for Binibini. It is also a contraction of BB's motto: “Be all that you can be.”
4. BB loves white wine and fresh fruit. She can go for a long time eating just those.
5. During photoshoots, BB loves to have mood music playing in the background. She especially likes sentimental music by Basil Valdez and Rey Valera, and the song “Alipin” by Shamrock.
6. Because she believes that taking the stairs in her high heels is a way to lose weight, BB doesn't like to use the elevator.
7. BB's height is 5'11'' and she says her vital statistics are 36-25-36.
8. Iman, BB's black Labrador, is named after a famous Somali fashion model.
9. Audrey Hepburn is BB's favorite fashion icon and style inspiration.
10. Updates on BB's activities may be found on gandanghari.thepoc.net.
The pseudo-interview questions from the bloggers went from broad topics such as religion, politics and gay rights to casual ones such as lifestyle (e.g. diets, sports, beauty regimen, etc.), showbiz career, present activities and hobbies. Later on, I found out that BB is sociable, an intellectual and has a good sense of humor. She's also very optimistic and you can easily tell that she has a strong faith in God.
Acceptance, especially in a conservative society like ours, doesn't come naturally. Before one can gain respect, he has to earn it by proving himself. In the case of BB Gandanghari, she admitted having experienced ridicule and received nasty comments from strangers, but she respected their opinions. It's a good thing a lot of people, Filipinos for that matter, are now more open-minded and respectful of the changes in their surroundings, particularly if these changes are found in the behavior, lifestyle or even sexuality of other persons.
Personally, I admire BB Gandanghari for the change she was able to embrace and apply into his life. Not many from his breed have flaunted their true identity for the world to know and accept. It's all a matter of guts and faith, and Ms. Gandanghari has lots of those.
Indeed, it was a delightful afternoon with BB Gandanghari who's very charming and refined, like every lady should be.
Thank you to Tita Dine and Tita Noemi of FilipinaImages.com for the invite and to the Philippine Online Chronicles for sponsoring the event. :)
Get the latest updates on the Life of a Breadwinner by subscribing to my RSS feeds. This entry was posted
on 18 March 2009
at Wednesday, March 18, 2009
and is filed under
BB Gandanghari,
Blogger Events,
Entertainment Industry,
FilipinaImages.com,
Local Showbiz,
Rustom Padilla
.
