Geraldine Roman is a fierce and educated politician who has changed the history of her country becoming the first transgender woman to run for a public office in the lower house elections on Monday.
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She’s 49 years old and has lived as a woman for the past two decades in a conservative and predominantly Catholic society that perceives her condition as something sinful and abominable.
Roman seeks to represent her northern Bataan province, an important area that that holds the Philippines' only nuclear power plant.
She holds two master's degrees and worked in Spain as senior editor of the Spanish News Agency, she also belongs to a politically influential Filipino family, she's actually running for the seat vacated by her mother, who has served a maximum three terms in the 300-seat chamber.
Geraldine and her mother, Bataan 1st District Rep. Herminia Roman (in red), strike a pose with some of their supporters. PHOTO: Geraldine Roman's Facebook page
The candidate admits it has not been easy, she has been mocked and abused on the campaign trail, but is confident that her victory will bring a breakthrough for the LGBT community.
As said before, the Philippines is very conservative in its policies and divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage are illegal. Roman has has strongly lobbied hard against these prejudices.