Geraldine Roman

#GeraldineRoman (April 23, 1967 – ): Raised in the #Bataan region of #ThePhilippines, Roman was teased as a child but taught by her father to be confident in who she was. After studying at the #UnibersidadNgPilipinasDiliman and #EuskalHerrikoUnibertsitatea (in Spain), she worked as a senior editor of the #AgenciaEFESA (the Spanish News Agency) before returning to the Philippines in 2012 to take care of her father, who had become ill. In 2016, she ran for the 1st District Representative for Bataan seat in the House of Representatives under the Liberal Party banner and won, becoming the first #transgender congresswoman in the Congress of the Philippines (she succeeded her mother, who was the incumbent with a limited term). A practicing #Catholic, she was encouraged to undergo gender affirmation surgery in the 1990s by Jesuit priests at her school who told her “the body’s just a shell.” As member of the Congress of the Philippines, Roman has supported same-sex marriage in the Philippines as well as in LGBTQ+ rights, as well as efforts to standardize medical care in the country, to protect and conserve the tourist sites of Bataan, to increase funding for higher education, to increase the representation of indigenous peoples in her home province, and to pass bills for sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. Having served as a military officer and reservist in the #SandatahangLakasNgPilipinas, Roman is also the first transgender person commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel. She resides in the Bataan province with her partner, who is from Spain. #PrideMonth #LGBTQIA #LGBTQIAPride #Pride #LegendsOfPride #YouCannotEraseUs