Geena Rocero on Her Blockbuster Memoir and Trans Liberation

“That was the first inclination that I would come out, the first seedling,” she tells me now. “One of the Burning Man principles is radical inclusion. I felt people were living it and I wanted to too.”

Now, more than a decade later, Rocero is a beloved media figure and social justice heroine. She has accrued numerous accolades, including becoming the first trans woman ambassador for Miss Universe Nepal and the first trans Asian Pacific Islander woman to be named a Playboy Playmate of the Year. She’s also advocated for trans rights at the White House, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum, and in her native Philippines.

Actor Gabrielle Union-Wade isn’t surprised to see Rocero’s continuous climb. As stepmother to one of the most high-profile trans teenagers, Zaya Wade, she intimately knows the necessity of possibility models like Rocero.

“When I first met Geena, I was blown away by her beauty, her intelligence, and her graceful presence,” Wade-Union says. “Her fierce and unrelenting activism in the face of mounting adversity is incredibly inspiring to me and my entire family. Knowing that there are angels on earth like Geena, fighting for real equality and change, is so necessary. She provides a voice for the voiceless and the road map for others to follow her lead.”

To fashion designer Prabal Gurung, Rocero represents “several communities that have been unseen.” She is, he continues, “so fully aware of the space she occupies and the relationships she has within the world.”

Back in the Philippines, Rocero’s impact is felt as well. There’s a whole generation of trans girls who’ve come up through the pageant system with bolder ambitions thanks to her example. One is Mela Habijan, who embarked on a successful journey and media career shortly after embracing her identity several years ago.