He waves at the excited crowd, smiles when he sees a familiar face cheer for him, and poses for the blinking cameras. He walks with poise on his three-inch heels, unmindful of the uneven pathways. Quite unsurprisingly, 58-year-old Bing Custodio has been taking part in this Mayflower tradition for the past 44 years, as he is among the pioneers of the annual Santacruzan for the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Barangay Sta. Elena in Marikina, dubbed “SaGAYlahan.” SaGAYlahan sa Marikina. Photo courtesy of pictaram.com “Residents here have always been so welcoming,” Custodio said. “We’ve never had any issue in terms of their acceptance and appreciation of gays like us.” Second-timer Potch Sacramento, 27, agreed, saying that it’s the “good feedback” from the community that inspired him to join the tradition again this year. “One of the good things here in my village is that [...]
