TikTok Celebrates Stories of Pride and Progress

Filipino LGBTQIA+ Creators Lead the Movement for Authentic Expression and Representation

TikTok, the world’s leading short-form video platform, continues to uplift the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community with the fifth year of #ForYourPride: a powerful celebration of real stories, bold voices, and creativity of queer creators.

With #ForYourPride 2025, TikTok shines a spotlight on LGBTQIA+ creators whose authenticity builds communities and inspires courage on and beyond the platform, with the aim to spark conversations that promote empathy, allyship, and love in all its forms.

From bold trailblazers to creative visionaries, these creators show that queer lives are vibrant, complex, and full of beauty:

Tita Baby (@yourtitababy)

While Tita Baby discovered drag later in life, it became a powerful expression of self-ownership and pride. What began as a form of personal joy and creative exploration reconnected her to her theatrical roots, and over time, evolved into something bigger. “It’s [about] joy, liberation, and connection. When you live your truth, you make a difference,” she said. Her performances, deeply rooted in Filipino pop culture and real-life “Tita” icons, are infused with heart, humor, and an unbounded self-expression.

Creating content on TikTok started out as an experiment but soon became a key platform in Tita Baby’s storytelling, allowing her to express herself beyond traditional media. “I have free will. I have a platform. I can be the representation I never saw growing up,” she added. On TikTok, Tita Baby portrays everything from the dramatic balikbayan Tita to the lovingly brutal one who tells you the truth, yet always with care and intention. With each post, she offers laughter, insight, and space for others, especially those plus-size, older, queer Filipinos to feel seen.

Now a proud figure in the drag and LGBTQIA+ communities, Tita Baby uses her voice not only to entertain but to uplift. “When people message me saying they finally feel seen and validated, that’s the power of representation,” she says. Her advice to young queer people is firm but tender: “Stop listening to everyone else, including me, and start listening to yourself.”

Rica Salomon (@rica.salomon)

Growing up surrounded by a loving family, Rica considers it a privilege that she never had to come out. “I had a positive childhood, and that’s why I fight, so others can have that too,” she says.

Rica, who describes herself as an empowered transgender woman, was fueled by the unwavering support of her loved ones, especially her dad, to stand up for others and for what is right. In 2015, as a college student at a top university in the Philippines, she petitioned to allow transgender women to appear as their true selves in the yearbook. “It caused waves, and even my dad questioned why I had to fight. He said, ‘If you want a photoshoot, I’ll give you one.’ But I told him, I’m fighting so that no trans student ever has to go through this again,” Rica shared.

Now more than ever, Rica believes that allies, especially those with privilege, must speak up. She began creating TikTok videos in 2019 to spread awareness and joy, finding friendship and community on the platform. Rica acknowledges that increased visibility comes with challenges, but channels the pressure to creating positive change. "It’s not just about amplifying trans voices, it’s also about using your platform to challenge hate and misinformation."

Belle Rodolfo (@bellerodolfo)

After years in publishing, Belle chose to step away from traditional media and into a space where she could fully own her voice. “I loved my job, but I needed more agency,” she shares. “Leaving was emotional, I even cried but it felt like the most honest thing I could do for myself.” What began as a leap of faith evolved into a powerful platform for authenticity.

For Belle, TikTok has become more than a creative outlet--it is a vehicle for visibility and expression. “At first, I was so self-conscious about how I looked, how I sounded,” she says. However, after a yoga teacher helped her realize that her audience merely wanted to see her freedom, Belle discovered not only her creative rhythm but also a vibrant community that welcomed her as she was. From beauty content to quiet vlogs of daily life, she began to show what queer joy really looks like, “existing freely, being loved, [and] being ordinary in the most beautiful way.”

A certified kikay girl, Belle understands deeply how powerful and rare it is to see someone like her reflected in mainstream spaces. "Representation is so important, especially as queer women, because when you don't see yourself in mainstream media, you feel so alone," she said.

She also noted that queer women are still often sidelined, even during Pride or Women’s Month, and that visibility isn’t just about being seen, it’s about claiming space and receiving recognition.

Paul Sumayao and Jedi Directo of Barbierro (@barbierrobarbershop)

Paul was shaped by early experiences in traditional barbershops, spaces where masculinity was expected and queerness felt out of place. These moments of discomfort became the inspiration behind Barbierro, the Philippines’ first queer-inclusive barbershop that he co-founded with his partner Jedi Directo. Paul believes that “ang buhok ay walang kasarian” (hair has no gender), and he champions self-expression through grooming, creating a space where queer and trans individuals can feel safe, seen, and stylish.

Barbierro is more than a barbershop; it’s a statement. Paul and Jedi are actively changing the landscape of business and representation through their work not just at Barbierro but also as members of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which advocates for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace and aims to educate corporations about sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGI).

TikTok has become a powerful platform for their advocacy. “For us to change the narrative [around being queer and being queer business owners], we felt talking to the younger generation would give us a better vantage point—and the younger generation is on TikTok,” he shares. Through TikTok, Barbierro has reached audiences beyond their physical space, using storytelling, education, and visibility to affirm that queer identity belongs everywhere, even in a barbershop chair.