VP JUNE ISSUE DIGITAL V3

Pride Month commemorates not only the
celebration of our uniqueness, but the
struggles that comes along with it. The
Stonewall Riots of ‘69 in New York City sparked
the beginning of a new era showing how we
will not be silenced. A milestone that created
ripples to a bigger wave we recognize today.
Village Pipol Magazine goes spectrum in honor
of this momentous occasion with Kevin Balot
on our cover.
REDEFINING REALNESS
Kevin marches with her head held high in all of
her glory — both raw and authentic. Proving
to those who see the world in black and white
that it is, in fact, filled with a kaleidoscope of
colors. And that, if we wish to be truly free, it
needs to begin inside. For the most important
kind of freedom is being unapologetically who
you are.
“Nung bata pa ako, my Tito Obet gave me a
gift from Taipei which was a robot then yung
kay ate naman doll. Iyak lang daw ako ng iyak
kasi gusto ko kung ano yung kay ate ko, yun din
ang akin,” Kevin recalled the first memory she
had when she realized who she’s meant to be.
While there exist thousands who are trapped
by their families, religions, or beliefs, Kevin
was held captive inside her own body. Her
inner truth did not match her outer self,
being assigned male at birth. Like most of
the LGBTQ+ community, coming out left her
scarred.
“Mahirap! Hindi ito natanggap agad ng family,
especially ni Papa. Kaya mahirap kasi lagi kami
nag-aaway because of this. Basta half of my
childhood memory is masakit, lagi ako umiiyak
at nasasaktan.”
Nevertheless, this convention killer boldly
challenged gender norms. Back in 2012, she
decided to get a sex reassignment surgery. To
many, a revolutionary act on its own.
“Alam ko talaga bata pa lang ako na may mali.
I felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body,”
Kevin stated how she took inspiration from
herself for this turning point in her life.
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