In 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society proposed the first annual Filipino American History Month to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos on October 18, 1587. It became official when the 111th Congress introduced and passed a resolution in 2009 officially recognizing Filipino American History Month.
This Filipino-American History Month, GLAAD is shining a spotlight on the queer Filipino-Americans history makers! With activists, producers, journalists, film and television directors, and more, Filipino-Americans are everywhere making their mark upon the world. Join us on GLAAD social media to hear from current Filipino-Americans who are making this world queer, one day at a time.
Alec Mapa
One of the original queer Filipino faces in Hollywood. He hosted hosted GLAAD Media Award winning show “Transamerican Love Story” and had roles in shows like “Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Half-And-Half.” He has also been a judge multiple times on RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, and other branches of the franchise.
Geena Rocero
Geena Rocero, born and raised in Manila, Philippines, is a four time Emmy Nominated and an Award Winning Producer, Writer and Director. She is 2023 Glamour Woman of The Year, recipient of The A1 Award in Gold House’s A100 List of the most impactful AAPI’s, 2024 SeeHer Award and OUT100’s most impactful and influential LGBTQ People.
Her award winning memoir Horse Barbie published by Penguin Random House imprint, The Dial Press is the recipient of THEM Now Awards for Literature. She recently directed and executive produced the EMMY and GLAAD Media Awards nominated CARETAKERS, a four-part original documentary series with PBS featuring stories of Filipino American frontline healthcare workers.
On March 31, 2014, in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, Rocero came out as transgender in a now viral TED Talk at the annual TED Conference. Geena has spoken at the White House, World Economic Forum, Aspen Institute and United Nations.
Maria Ressa
Being a Filipino American often means always having ties and work back home. As editor-in-chief and CEO of the Philippine news site Rappler, she led her team in dauntlessly seeking and speaking the truth – even in the face of a government and environment that has been fatally dangerous to journalists. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her heroic work and, along with her company Rappler, was the subject of the Sundance Film Festival documentary, A Thousand Cuts (available to stream on PBS). She is currently on GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index Advisory Committee.
Richard Adams
In 1975, Richard Adams made history when he and his partner, Anthony Sullivan, got married in Boulder, Colorado. They are one of the first gay couples in the country to be granted a marriage license. Through this license, Adams, a Filipino-American, hoped to get permanent residency for Sullivan, an Australian. However, they were denied and the notification from the Immigration and Naturalization Service used a slur as part of their reasoning why. In 1979, Adams filed the first lawsuit in America to seek recognition of a same-sex marriage by the federal government. Adams v Howerton was ultimately denied in 1982. It wasn’t until 2014, after Adams had died in 2012, that the USCIS approved the 1975 visa petition. Sullivan received his permanent residency status in 2016. The documentary, Limited Partnership, is a documentary telling the couple’s story.
Ongina
RuPaul’s Drag Race is a global phenomenon that has earned multiple Emmy Awards and GLAAD Media Awards over its 15-year-and-counting run. Before it became the media powerhouse that it was, it started off as an aspiring competition show with a now infamous “season 1 filter.” Among the very first set of contestants was Ongina – a proud Filipina drag queen known for her signature bald head. She may not have won the crown but she won many of the audience’s hearts for her advocacy as an HIV positive individual on national television back in 2009 when stigma was a lot higher than it is today.
Jose Antonio Vargas
A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, film maker and immigration rights activist, Jose Antonio Vargas is the founder of Define American, a non-profit dedicated to “humanizing the immigrant narrative, one store at a time.” Born in the Philippines, he moved to America at the age of 12. In 2011, he revealed his undocumented immigrant status. A year after his Time cover story about his immigration status, the Obama administration announced it would be halting the deportation of undocumented immigrants age 30 and under, for they would qualify for the DREAM Act. Vargas, who was 31, did not qualify. Additionally, in 2015, Vargas directed and starred in the Daytime Emmy nominated documentary, White People. He was co-producer for the first Broadway production to feature an all Filipino cast, Here Lies Love.
