As a young femme growing up in Manila in the 1990s, Geena Rocero endured shouts of "bakla, bakla!," a Filipino taunt aimed at her feminine sway. Eventually she found her place in trans pageants. By seventeen, she was the Philippines' most prominent and highest-earning trans pageant queen. When she moved to the United States, Geena became an in-demand model, appearing in music videos, billboards, and magazine campaigns, and was hailed as the epitome of feminine beauty. But as her star rose, her sense of self eroded. She realized that living her truth was the only way to step into her full power.
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