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My lesbian daughter Bianchi came across a picture of Angel Aquino on the Instagram of @thesunnyclubph. Its bio reads: Collective for queer women. Angel is a friend I haven’t seen in ages. No judgment, no malice. Just fun, freedom and friendship.
In celebration of Pride Month, I watched “Choosing,” the play of my good friends, Ice and Liza Seguerra. Aside from being the stars and producers of the show, they also wrote the story.
What can the awesome couple not do ? “Choosing” delves into the inner workings of an unconventional kind of love. It made the audience run the whole gamut of emotions.
Since I have a gay son and a lesbian daughter, I was moved from start to finish. Ice and Liza outdid themselves. They are too brilliant for words. By sharing the story of Stella (Liza) and Mitch (Ice), they were able to scratch beneath the surface to reveal secrets their hearts have never told. Both of them turned in pure and honest portrayals that the demarcation line blurred between their character and persona. “Choosing” reminds us that we must love someone not just because but also in spite of. Bravo Ice and Liza for showing that one love fits all.
Here are quotes from Ice and Liza during the talkback sesh:
Ice: “Just like Mitch, it’s the dilemma of transmen like me whether to undergo a medical transition. It’s a daily battle to be trapped in a body I’m not totally comfy in. When I first came out as trans, I wanted to do the transition thing hormones and all. But ‘di ako sure kung tatanggapin ba ako ng publiko. Paano na kabuhayan ko kung ganun? Pero ang importante, alam ko ang asawa ko, mamahalin pa rin niya ako anuman ang decision ko.”
Liza: “There’s nothing I won’t do for Ice. I know it’s US forever. But I had fears just thinking about what will happen if and when Ice goes through a medical transition. Will I still know the person he will become after the procedure? That was the germ of the play, I embraced and named the fear. I allowed myself to be vulnerable when I wrote the play. It was freeing to let Mitch and Stella go through that.
“Mitch made a decision to transition even at the expense of maybe losing Stella. Stella is brave enough to go through the questions. Ice has not made that decision yet. By allowing myself to be open while I wrote the play, I hope it would touch a larger audience.”
Ice: “Some people outside the LGBT community say, ‘Ginusto nyo yan.’ They have no idea how hard it is to function daily like a ‘normal’ person. Bakit ko pipiliin ang mahirap? Yung may possibility na ma-bully and ma-discriminate ako? But I can’t negate my true nature.
“So for LGBT peeps, there are only two choices: Stay in the closet or free yourself. Liza and I believe stories are powerful so we won’t stop doing projects like this play. If you know the story behind a person, love and empathy follows.”
Barbie on my YT Channel
Barbie Forteza is such a doll just like the famous toy she shares the same name with. It’s the first time I got to talk to her up close yet it felt like we were old friends.
I immensely enjoyed our girls’ talk. Catch it on my DollywoodPH Channel soon. Super thanks to my Kapuso friends — Angel Cruz, Irene Fernando and Jojo Aquio — for making our interview possible.
Before the camera rolled, Barbie and I were ribbing each other about being single. I told her, “Quota na si Cupid sa akin.’ Then she asked for my advice. I replied, “When you become single again, you think you’re lonely but soon enough that loneliness will feel like freedom.” Barbie giggled as if she was poking Cupid with his arrow.
The Kapuso sweetheart topbills the riveting series, “Beauty Empire” (to premiere on GMA 7 in July). She also stars in the upcoming “mind f**k” thriller film, “P77.” Even without a “Ken” for now, everything is rosey in her Barbie world.
New OPM album
There are songs that will hit your heart bullseye and give you EARgasm. That’s what “Mga Awit sa J.P. Rizal” will do. It’s a new album of original Filipino tunes written by siblings who call themselves Melladys.
The album was produced by Filipino jazz legend Johnny Alegre. He brought together a stellar roster of Filipino musicians: Medwin Marfil (Truefaith), Jazz Nicolas (The Itchyworms), Mikey Amistoso (Ciudad), Noel Mendez, Joey Puyat (Blue Rats, Kiss the Bride), Paolo Manuel (Kosmikskala, The Jerks), and more.
Melladys is a wordplay on “Mella,” the surname of five siblings — Alejandro, Ynocencio, Gabriel, Lolita and Ephraim. In the ‘70s, they played songs on guitar and piano while living near J.P. Rizal Street — the inspiration behind the album’s title.
According to Johnny, the songs reminded him of a generation that made music for the joy of it, free of rules or formulas.
Though folk-inspired at its core, “Mga Awit sa J.P. Rizal” is rich in variety — from upbeat pop and soft rock to bossa nova, kundiman and ballads. Ikaw Ako, Bituin, Kailangan Ka, Ito’y Para Sa Yo, Dambana, Pangarap and Gintong Panaginip have that classic OPM vibe.
It is available in vinyl release exclusively at Backspacer Records. What better time to rekindle our love affair with OPM than now that we are still on an “Araw ng Kalayaan” high?
