Geena Rocero

Beginning at the age of 15, Geena Rocero worked the transgender pageant circuit in the Philippines, where shows are broadcast on national television, in the late 1990s. Her victories won her money as well as fame. She claims that her unique wig design — a side bang and a flipped end — created a trend among other beauty finalists. She is considered as one of the most famous fashion models from The Philippines as well.

Geena originally signed with NEXT Model Management when she was 21 years old, before venturing into the entertainment world. Geena founded her own production company, Gender Proud, after walking the runway at New York Fashion Week and appearing in countless swimsuit and beauty editorials. She opted to "come out" during a 2014 TED lecture in order to raise awareness of the transgender community.

The ghost of "Horse Barbie" guides and buoys Geena Rocero throughout the journey. What began as a derogatory nickname from the pageant scene became a symbol for Rocero of a wild, gender-nonconforming spirit that has been part of Philippine indigenous culture for generations, even as Filipinos like us absorbed and assimilated American culture over nearly half a century of Western colonization. As a result, she is a bold, confident, and honest trans woman about who she is and what she stands for.

Born: 1983

Nationality: Filipino

Instagram: @geenarocero