fcnomad.blogg.se

She underwent gender reassignment surgery earlier this year.Īfter the difficult rough patch, she finally gained the acceptance she longed for from her family. "I would rather go through hell as a woman than have an easy life as a man," she said.

She couldn't help but burst into tears when she had to spend important moments in her life without her family by her side.Īs painful as it can be, she was already firm on her decision. There were days wherein I had to sell my belongings. learned what it meant to go out with nothing. That night she packed everything she owned into a black rubbish bag and walked out, not knowing what would become of her. Recalling those moments, Ari (as her friends would call her) said her life turned upside down. The moment they found out she was undergoing hormone treatment, they gave two choices: stop or leave home. He was later on kicked out by her family, who struggled to support her decision. Growing up in a traditional Filipino household where her family stuck to gender norms, her journey has not been easy.Īndrew began transitioning in 2017. Back then, she was raised as a boy named Andrew. Being the youngest of two siblings, they migrated to New Zealand for greener pastures when she was only four years old. Her mother, who is half-German, met her father who is from Davao. If you look at New Zealand, it is quite quiet," Keil said, adding that she has not returned to Davao City since 2007. Admittedly, she missed her life in Davao City. Until now, she remains thrilled after snagging the title in her first beauty pageant, of which she also broke the wall of gender stereotype.Īlthough she has admitted to being a shy person, she pushed herself not to go home empty-handed.ĭespite living overseas since 1998, she has always been proud of her Filipina and Dabawenya heritage.

Talking to SunStar Davao in a virtual interview, Keil, a fashion design student and a self-confessed pageant aficionado, admitted she had always admired Filipina beauty queens and had wanted to join beauty pageants for a long time. Currently, she is a creative advertising student. Aside from this feat, she also set a historical record for being a transgender woman representing the country in the upcoming Miss Intercontinental pageant.Īrielle Keil, a 26-year-old Filipina-German, hails from Davao City and spent most of her life in Auckland, New Zealand. In 2020 alone, Ki'ilani Arruda was named Miss Teen USA 2020 Kim Layne was the first runner-up at the Miss USA 2020 pageant and Yuki Sonoda was named second runner-up at the Miss Universe Japan 2020 pageant.Īnother Filipina made history to be the first to win the Miss Intercontinental New Zealand pageant.

Throughout the years, the Philippines was also never short of beauty queens with Filipino roots who also shine in other countries' pageants. The "new normal" in the coronation nights of Miss Earth and Miss Universe-Philippines still continued to create a buzz, especially on social media, despite having no physical audience during the pageant event.Īmidst all odds, beauty pageants have been a staple part of the Filipino culture, which has deep historical roots, combining regional pride with glitzy spectacle. Filipinas are also making waves in other international pageants such as Miss Grand International, Miss Globe, Miss Teen International, and even Reina Hispanoamericana.ĭespite the continuing threat brought about by the pandemic, Filipinos' fanaticism with beauty pageants has never lain low.