Raquela Rios
Courting Queen Raquela
By Kiki Tan
PUBLISHED: JUNE 2010
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF RAQUELA RIOS

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And how has life changed for Raquela after her foray with, well, fame?

“It bettered my standards in looking for a man in my life,” she beams.  And then, on a more serious note: “I can say it empowered me as it (helped teach me maturity) – even if, at the same time, I also gained some recognition and made new friends from all over the world.”

“I was not being positive (with playing the lead role in Queen Raquela).  I’m a type of person who prefers to live a life in private. But then a realization dawned on (me). I realized I could serve as an inspiration to many; not just to the transgenders or transsexuals, but to everyone in the society – as a Filipino, as a transgender and transsexual, and as a citizen of a Third World country." RAQUELA RIOS

Raquela’s way of seeing has long broadened, as she has also worked as a GLBTQI rights advocate in Cebu City to fight against discrimination and give rights to GLBTQIs (specialization in safer sex practices).  

In her Facebook profile, Raquela states that she is a “pre-op transsexual.”  The thing, though, is that this identification is more for other people’s ‘comfort’ than for hers.  “To be honest,” she says, “I prefer to be a non-op transsexual.  The only reason I (use that descriptor) is because not all know what a non-op transsexual is.”

The point is the deconstruction of the heteronormative – often erroneous – beliefs.
“For me everyone is entitled (to be who and what) they want to be,” Raquela says.  “If one wants to undergo sexual reassignment surgery to be happy, go for it.  But for me, I choose to be a non-op since I know I am a woman, a transsexual woman. I don’t need (any) process of going under the knife to make me a woman.”

The necessary change, stresses Raquela, is in the recognition of the individual differences.

“If there is a law that recognizes TGs in their own gender, then for me, it will be not necessary to go for any operation just to change one’s identity from male to female or female to male (the deemed identifiers of sex and gender differentiation),” she says.

That there remain stereotypes about transgenders, including association with sex work, is true, but “we are all different individuals and you can’t just conclude one to be such or such,” she says, adding that even if assumptions may prove to be true, too, “we still have to respect every one as human beings – after all, (even for TGs in the sex industry, they still) have to make a living in a harsh world, considering the harsh treatment they experience every day.”  And this is even if TGs “could offer a lot of other things just like all of the other people out there (when given the chance).”

These are issues, of course, that the GLBTQIA community, as a whole, needs to deal with – something problematic since “there’s often no unity in (the GLBTQIA community) so that many actually marginalize themselves into gay versus TG versus lesbian versus bisexual.  There remains so much hate even within (our ranks),” Raquela says.

Hopefully, however, films like Queen Raquela can help remedy the situation.

“(Through such efforts, hopefully) people will get a glimpse of  the life, the struggles of being GLBTQI – especially of living in a country where we are not protected by laws and we are not recognized to have human rights.”

Raquela remains hopeful, nonetheless, inspired by the “the existing sisterhood/brotherhood, too, (in the GLBTQIA community),” she says.  “(Our community) is colourful, full of life – as such, it is fun, not just tediously serious all the time.”

What’s next for Raquela?

“To come out of a ‘depression’ stage,” she says, as Raquela continues to finish her studies, yet to decide if she’ll pursue becoming a chef or a haute couture fashion designer.  The dream, though, is to “maybe go back to Europe to build a ‘normal’ life – “my experiences (there) opened my eyes to (a TG) life’s possibilities.”

For now, though, remember her as “Queen Raquela, the innocent/naive but street smart girl who touches everyone’s heart.”