09/03/2026
๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ข๐ณ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ โ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐บ
Before she was labeled โ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐,โ she was called ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป. ๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ
In many pre-colonial Philippine communities, Babaylans were ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐น ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, and ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป-๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. Historical records tell us that some were individuals ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐โreferred to as ๐๐๐ผ๐ด and ๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ด.
They were ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
They were ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
They were ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
It was during colonization under the Spanish Empire that ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ and many ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑโattempting to ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ that had ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฒ๐
๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ.
As we celebrate ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐, we affirms:
Trans women are not a modern invention.
They are part of our ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐.
They are part of our ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
They are part of our ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ.
Today, we honor ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐โwhose courage, wisdom, and strength continue to shape our communities.
Lead like the Babaylans, Filipinas. ๐บโจ
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ. ๐ณ๏ธโ๐
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐. โจ
๐ผ๏ธ: Nicos Pacayo & Marielle Atanacio (Babaylan Artwork)
โ๐ผ: Al Murillo