Matters

Women Win: Queer Women of Southeast Asia Who Are Voices of Hope

This Women’s Month, we recognize women who sparked change in their own ways, including our queer sisters—cis and trans.

By Moira Del Rosario 5 hours ago

Women and queer struggles will always be interlinked. In 1992, Filipino organization The Lesbian Collective marched at the International Women’s March. This monumental moment then became an essential precursor to the first Pride March in 1996. Since then, the Philippines has made progress, albeit in small increments, for both women and the queer community. It’s not the same for the rest of Southeast Asia, unfortunately. Until today, many women still have to suffer under the harmful, patriarchal values of their countries. However, Thailand has made significant progress for both women and the LGBTQIA+ community, being the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same sex marriage. That is both a feat and a beacon of hope for the region.

The fight for women’s rights has always included queer women, both cis and trans. In celebration of our fellow women, these are just some of the queer women of Southeast Asia that have made a significant impact. They are the leading lights and point the way forward.

Ari South

The Laotian designer gained recognition as a finalist from the eighth season of Project Runway. Since then, Ari South has came out as a proud transwoman, eventually opening up about her transition. Today, the designer is fully committed to her fashion label of the same name, with its ready-to-wear and couture lines.

Jhoanna Lynn Cruz

The Filipino writer has won a Palanca award for her collection of lesbian-themed stories called Women Loving in 2010. Since then, Cruz has not only continued to spotlight her lesbian identity in her literary works, but she has also presented these works in various festivals and events all over Asia. Today, she is an Associate Professor of creative writing at the University of the Philippines Mindanao.

Jidanun Lueangpiansamut

Also known as Lee, the Thai writer is the youngest—and the second woman in a decade—to win the prestigious SEA Write Award at the age of 25. With over 20 novels on LGBTQ+, young adult, and dystopian themes, she is mostly known for her works in the BL or Boy Love genre, an increasingly popular genre that showcases queer romance.

Keylyn Trajano

The model, entrepreneur, and advocate was just about to make history as the first ever transwoman to compete in Miss Universe Philippines. In an Instagram post, Trajano shared how she has been constantly told to stop breaking traditional systems but she never faltered. This year, she chose to break the boundaries of pageantry in hopes of being a voice of change and hope for the trans community. This is a feat in itself for all women. However, due to her prior commitments in business and corporate ventures that offer her, she has recently decided to withdraw from the competition. “The country isn’t ready for change,” Trajano emphasized in her Instagram post.

Kelly Marie Tran

The Star Wars actress came out as queer just last year. After her role in the Ang Lee queer comedy remake The Wedding Banquet, Kelly Marie Tran didn’t feel like she was acting at all in her role. “I’ve never truly felt this accepted before,” the actress said in an interview.

Myo Ko Ko San

Myo Ko Ko San is a Burmese transgender beauty queen, pageant titleholder, model, and an LGBTQIA+ rights activist. A year after her gender confirming surgery, she won the title of Miss International Queen Myanmar in 2014, which then furthered her mission to fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.

Poyd Treechada Petcharat

Dubbed as Thailand’s most beautiful transwoman, the actress-model is an open advocate for the queer community. Aside from being crowned Miss International Queen in 2004, Petcharat was also in several films and shows and a model for several brands such as Louis Vuitton and Cartier. Being an LGBTQIA+ rights advocate, the transwoman was an active participant in Thailand’s parliamentary discussion to further the cause of same sex marriage.

Raveena Aurora

The openly bisexual singer, a daughter of Indian Sikh refugees, is known for her bright, colorful aesthetic heavily influenced from the ’60s and ’70s. Raveena incorporates experimental pop sounds to her R&B music, bringing a dreamy and romantic feel to the genre.

Samantha Lee

Queer film director and writer Samantha Lee has done her part spotlighting the queer community through her films Baka Bukas, Billie and Emma, and Rookie. As a queer woman in the creatives industry, she has a mission of bridging queer communities and telling their stories to the mainstream. In doing this, Lee is determined to portray the community honestly, including the identity struggle, self- and societal acceptance, and aspects of love.

Swe Zin Htet

The Burmese beauty queen has won several titles such as Miss Supranational Myanmar in 2016 and Miss Universe Myanmar in 2019. By then, Swe Zin Htet became the first openly lesbian competitor on the Miss Universe stage. At the time, being queer in Myanmar is criminalized, and the beauty queen coming out was a statement that inspired social change in her home country.

Featured Image and Photos: ARI SOUTH, JHOANNA LYNN CRUZ, KEYLYN TRAJANO, SWE ZIN HTET, RAVEENA, SAMANTHA LEE, POYD TREECHADA(via Instagram), MYO KO KO SAN (via Facebook), REPRESENT ASIA PROJECT, THE YAPPIE, THE CLOUD