Bebe Gandanghari: The New Role Model of Gay Men

When former Filipino actor Rustom Padilla bravely admitted on national television (via the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition reality show on ABS-CBN) that he is indeed gay, the whole world changed not only for Rustom for the entire showbiz Padilla family. Even his brother Robin went to the Big Brother studio and attempted to make a scene.

But hey, who can deny the fact that Rustom has finally come to himself and was able to admit his sexuality? Anyway, a lot of things have happened since then.

But not as dramatic as what happened early this year.

I learned that Rustom went to the United States, in New York specifically, to take up some modeling lessons, or something. On the evening news, they featured when he came back. And when he did, he looked like he stepped out of the pages of Vogue. He made such an arrival at the International Airport that the press and the people were starry eyed. Tall and statuesque and in a red leather suit, Rustom caught the eye of everyone.

But Rustom did not come back as himself, or at least, no longer as Rustom Padilla--but instead, he came back as the sophisticated and glamorous (I won't say woman) Bebe Gandanghari. Oh man, what a sight he is! He can easily upstage any supermodel in the country, hands down! But well, the only different is, he is still a man.

Lately, when I go to the malls, I see gay men parading in really fashionable outfits. Whereas before, yeah, I see only their futile attempts at dressing like women, which are rather outrageous and sometimes downright ghastly, now I see that the gay men in my city have acquired more taste in mixing and matching their outfits. Well, I guess I can say that Bebe Gandanghari has had a huge influence on them. Or at least now, they have realized that they can look better if they change their gawdy outfits. They are probably consulting fashion magazines now and checking out what Bebe is wearing currently. And probably, they realized that high fashion dressing actually becomes them.

As for me, here I am a woman who doesn't mind her looks and short hair. I also don't mind gay man strutting like supermodels in the mall. What an irony of life! I am not judging them. I respect their choices. It is not for me to judge. Because I have to admit, despite my moral and religious convictions, that they have a better taste in fashion than me. And boy, well, they look better in those clothes than me, too. So I admit defeat.

As for Bebe, he is now enjoying his new career as a fashion model. He has had several pictorials already since he got back to the Philippines. Bebe Gandanghari is just starting his career as a new person.

The old has gone, the new has finally arrived.