I am he, I am she, I am me
Sinon Loresca: It takes strength of character and spirit to conquer the catwalk
What it means to be borderless in terms of gender identity in today’s world
EARLY THIS YEAR, when 86 women from all over the globe wore their best gowns, fit themselves in tight swimwear, and walked on a pair of pumps for a chance to be crowned the most beautiful woman in the universe, one stellar performance on the digital world almost stole their limelight. Online sensation and now television personality Sinon Loresca regaled the web with his flawless outdoor catwalk, complete with six-inch heels and nothing but his skivvies on his social media account. The post instantly became viral, with people commenting how his sashay was actually more dazzling than what most of the Miss Universe contestants could do on stage. His special strut got noticed by international media sites like Daily Mail UK, 9gag, Cosmopolitan US and GQ, officially tagging him as the King of Catwalk. Soon, he would transform public spaces like busy sidewalks, mall corridors, and boutique floors as his own runway, sometimes wearing itty-bitty trunks or bikinis or a long flowing gown, showcasing his gym-toned body. No matter what he decides to wear, Sinon owns the moment and strides like a newly crowned beauty queen. Long-time dream
Critics regard his catwalk as mere publicity stunt. He is after all, a social media marvel with over 200,000 followers on Instagram where he first made his debut as a regular online personality. However, Sinon explains that by wearing heels and doing his catwalk, he is merely living his aspirations in life.
“I’ve always been flamboyant since high school. I would join many gay pageants and I enjoy dressing up as a girl. My family, however, did not approve of my choices and rejected me in the past. For the longest time, I couldn’t do what I want.”
Now more comfortable with his skin, Sinon vowed that nothing can stop him from doing what he wants.
“I just want to be original. I think wearing a dress while having a muscular body, and wearing 10-inch heels is quite different,” he proudly declared. “I’m gay, but I don’t want to do drag even if I enjoy cross dressing. This is my style, it’s who I am. I feel confident and positive doing this, so I just want to share that positivity.”
Sinon also says that he has always admired fashion models and beauty queens who sashay on the runway. “I really wanted to do [what they are doing] even when I was young. I loved watching beauty pageants on television or videos of the Victoria’s Secret lingerie shows. I studied how they do it. I would watch numerous videos on how to do the pasarela, and one day, I just thought it was time to let the world know I could do it. The 2016 Miss Universe pageant seemed like the best time to showcase that.” Difficult childhood One of the biggest hurdles of Sinon’s life was getting the approval of his father, who chastised and beat him severely for being overtly gay. But apart from his family turning their back on him because of his identity, Sinon also shared that he grew up dirt- poor and even lived in the slums of Payatas in Quezon City.
“I had to leave my family to escape my father’s beatings,” he confessed in Filipino, his voice cracking at times. “My family thought that I was just in Masbate; they didn’t know I was already living in the slums.”
To survive, he would scour the garbage dump in search of wares to sell. He literally lived on the streets when he had nothing, but Sinon regarded this experience as the drive that made him decide to do something for himself.
“I went to Manila because I wanted to prove to my family that I could do it,” he said.
Although the experience was difficult, his life experiences just strengthened his resolve to do something more.
Sinon did odd jobs, but it was a piece of devastating news from his sister that really changed his life.
“I had to migrate to London with my sister because she was sick. When we got there, I took care of her and even donated one of my kidneys so she could get better.” In a heartfelt post online, Sinon shared his thoughts about making that sacrifice.
“For me the most important thing is to save her life. I had bad experiences during my childhood with my family; however, I never used that against them. In fact, I used my upbringing to be more confident, strong and ready to face the challenge of life. No matter how hard, difficult and devastating experience you had with your family by the end of the day they are your family and you should always love, help and support them. Never hold a grudge in your heart!”
Aside from this, the homeless and the poor have always had a soft spot in the guy’s heart. Sinon would regularly be seen feeding children and beggars on the streets, and there are times when he would sit with them (even sleep with them!) to let them know that someone actually cares. Battling insecurities
Sinon met his British husband in London, which the aspiring comedian describes as a private person who is very supportive of his endeavors. While abroad, he also decided to further change his perspective and started working out.
“I would see billboards of models and I would feel very insecure. It’s hard enough to be gay, but to be gay and fat, which I was before, was just too much. So I knew I had to do something. I started working out.” Price of positive beauty
The rewards came in the form of an opportunity to appear on television, and his muscular physique landed him a role in the long-running variety show Eat Bulaga, making his TV debut as Rogelia, the gay bodyguard of Lola Nidora (performed by comedian Wally Bayola) of the phenomenal AlDub kalye-serye drama-comedy.
“People in the show knew I was gay,” he mused. “I did not try to hide it, so I guess that’s the reason why I got offered the role.”
Today, Sinon enjoys the limelight both online and on television, and he hopes to continue dressing up and doing his signature catwalk to spread more positivity to his fans.