Manila, Philippines - For at least one young man, joining the Marikina “Santacruzan” dressed up as a woman was something to be taken seriously.
That actually made him nervous. “This is my first time joining,” said Bella, a 20-year-old who declined to give out his real name in deference to his parents’ wishes. He was given the plum role of Reyna Emperatriz of the recent 37th gay santacruzan in Marikina
Before the procession, he admitted that he didn’t look the part. His hair was cut short, his chest was not operated to have breasts and his voice was unmistakably masculine.
Still, he knew the event’s importance well enough to put on a long black wig and a white ball gown as he carried the name “Queen Bella.”
“I’m doing this at the request of [one of the organizers],” he explained, adding that he did not join to earn money, like some do. “They were supposed to have Miss BB Gandanghari [the alias of Rustom Padilla] as their Reyna Emperatriz. But after Gandanghari canceled, everything just went into chaos. I had to step in even though I was not prepared because this tradition matters to a lot of people.”
Like Bella, 80 other participants from all over Marikina joined the gay santacruzan. And while this parade earned a measure of infamy from the conservatives and the Catholic Church, a number of them still take pride in it.
Church critics
A number of representatives from the Catholic Church have expressed their opposition to the gay santacruzan, even calling it “disrespectful.”
Msg. Pedro Quitorio 3rd, media director of the influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the santacruzan was a sacred tradition that should not be disrespected by having men play the roles of women.
“Santacruzan, being a church event, should be done according to the purpose it is intended,” he added. “So, if it is a celebration of the Blessed Mary, then Mary should be a woman, not a man. They have to give respect to this. In fact, [santacruzans] should not be used as a form of tourism, [and] it should not be turned into a fashion show.”
The santacruzan is a religious procession normally held in May, in commemoration of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and in honor of the Saint Helena’s discovery of the Holy Cross. Traditionally, parishes organize the procession—but nothing prohibits other groups from organizing one.
Quitorio said gays were not banned from joining church activities. He added that while they were not allowed to cross dress in a procession that supposedly honors a holy figure, the church encourages them to participate by other means.
“We’re not saying that they are banned,” he repeated. “In fact, they should not be discriminated. It’s just that, whenever we do things for God, they have to be proper. But I’ve never heard of a parish banning people who are gay from participating and expressing their faith through proper means.”
Expensive sacrifice
But another gay santacruzan participant, who uses the stage name Maria Elena, said they take such a processions seriously.
Elena, who refused to give out his real name for personal reasons, said he has been joining gay santacruzans in and out of Marikina for the last eight years. He added that this year, his outfit cost about P10,000—a large sum for someone who works at a convenient store.
“My entire outfit is very expensive,” Elena told The Times. “It took us months to prepare everything. [During the parade] we have to walk for hours umulan man o umambon [rain or shine]. Ino-okray kami,pinagtatawanan. [We encounter people who berate us and people who laugh at us.] And yet we are still doing this. Kung di pa ‘yon seryoso, ewan ko nalang [If that’s not serious, then I don’t know what is.”]
“A lot of people actually join,” said a participant under the stage name Juliana Palerma, who also refused to give his real name.
He explained that he joins santacruzans for what he believes is the same reason why most people join: “Para makisaya and para maging bongga [To have fun and to look glamorous.]”
Elena and Bella said their involvement in the 37th gay santacruzan of Marikina would be their last. But, as Elena told The Times, it would not be so for a number of young participants who recently joined.
“Next year, ipapasa na sa kanila ang korona [the crown will be theirs,]” he told The Times. “People of course will be against [their decision to join.] But we just ignore them.”
“To me, a santacruzan is all about beauty and class,” Bella added. “Ka-cheapan naman kung papatulan pa namin sila [We will be lowering ourselves if we pay attention to them.]”