While Andrei Trazona has yet to gain acceptance at home for coming out as gay, he received an outpouring of love from LGBT advocates, celebrities, and netizens.
Earlier this week, Andrei and her mother sexbomb Izzy Trazona had a very public exchange about the new drag queen's gender preference, and how Izzy said she just wanted to protect her child.
In a Facebook post, Izzy publicly called on Andrei to return home, as she worried for his safety due to his gender preference, and chooing to be a drag queen.
"Sino ba naman magulang ang gustong mapahamak ang anak? When all your motive is to save them sa mas masakit na pwede nilang maranasan. Ang buhay na wala si Kristo," she said in a post.
"Andrei anak, I love you so much to not support you on things that will harm you," she added.
But LGBTQIA+ rights advocate and Cosmopolitan Philippines Women of Influence 2023 Mela Habijan couldn't stay silent about Andrei's situation.
In a tweet, Mela emphasized the importance of parents creating safe and loving homes for their LGBTQIA+ children, recognizing them as the rainbows of this world.
"Reading the Facebook post of Sexbomb Izzy pains me a lot — a parent who is not supportive of her child being gay and doing drag because it’s “ANG BUHAY NA WALA SI KRISTO!" Mela wrote in her tweet.
Mela's message talked about how the wounds inflicted by family members who cannot accept their children for who they are run deep. It's a pain that has been felt by countless individuals, a pain rooted in outdated judgments.
But this has to change and it starts at home, Mela said.
"But truth be told, what has really harmed us aren’t our identities, but the prejudices the world has formed against us — “being LGBTQIA+ is a sin”, “You are an abomination”, “God doesn’t love you”. Old, uneducated, inhumane judgments that growing up, made us question our worth. And this needs to change. And it begins with you, Parents and Parents-To-Be. " Mela said.
To end her message, Mela told Andrei that they would be her family who are willing to accept her wholeheartedly.
Singer Aliya Parcs also reached out to the teen drag queen with a heartfelt message, offering Andrei a place of acceptance and support, saying, "Dear Drei, if you are looking for a new mom, I'm here for you with full support and acceptance. Be kind to yourself and to others. You can be whoever you are meant to be."
Many other celebrities expressed their love and support for Andrei.
Drag Race Philippines Season 1 former contestant Eva Le Queen told Andrei that there are people who love her. "You are loved. Hugs nak," Eva said.
Another drag superstar, Matilduh, also praised Andrei's incredible performances as the drag queen, Sofia. "Hugss you're a great performer and i hope everything will get better. maraming nagmamahal sayo!!"
The LGBTQIA+ community stands resilient, holding on to the hope that someday, all parents will become builders of safe and loving homes, where their children can be their authentic selves.
And as we witness these stories of love and acceptance, we are reminded that, indeed, the world can change, one heart at a time.