Isa pang miyembro ng LGBT community ang nagbigay ng karangalan sa Pilipinas nang masungkit ng 41-anyos na negosyanteng pambato ng Pilipinas ang titulong Mr. Gay World 2019, sa pageant sa Cape Town, South Africa ngayong Linggo.
Tinalo ni John Jeffrey "Janjep" Carlos, 41, mula sa Cavite, ang nasa 21 kalahok sa international title. Nakuha rin niya ang Best in National Costume.
Bukod kay Janjep wagi rin ang pambato ng Spain, si Francisco Alvarado bilang 1st runner-up; Oliver Pusztan, ng Hungary, 2nd runner-up; Chayudhom Samibat, ng Thailand, 3rd runner-up; at Nick Van Vooren, ng Belgium, 4th runner-up.
Nitong nagdaang linggo lang, ipinagbunyi rin ng Filipino gay community ang tagumpay ni future Atty. Sean James Borja, isang confessed gay man mula sa Ateneo de Manila University, makaraan siyang manguna sa mga pumasa sa 2018 Bar exams, na inihayag nitong Biyernes.
Samantala, dalawang beses lumaban sa national pageant si Janjep bago siya nakalaban sa abroad. Nagsanay siya sa ilalim ng Kagandahang Flores beauty camp ni Rodgil Flores.
Taong 2017 nang unang sumabak si Janjep sa Mr Gay World Philippines, ngunit natalo siya ni John Raspado, na naging kinatawan ng bansa at itinanghal na Mr. Gay World sa Spain.
Ayon kay Janjep, nais niyang dalhin ang kanyang adbokasiya sa ibang bansa na tinawag niyang "Illness to Wellness."
“I always work hard with the task that I am involved with. I always put my best foot forward. With the prestige of carrying the Filipino flag abroad, I also carry the hopes of people with depression. As what I have said, depression is real. Young lives have been destroyed because of depression. I hope that the international community will support my advocacy illness to wellness.”
Sa kabila ng edad, mahigpit na sinusunod ni Janjep ang healthy lifestyle upang manatiling malakas at magmukhang mas bata.
“I always work out and I practice healthy lifestyle all the time. I always sleep eight hours a day."
At nang tanungin nang “what makes him a proud Filipino gay?” sagot ni Carlos: "I have been travelling for quite a while now and I always tell them that I am a proud Filipino gay. It's because I carry with me the values many foreigners admire. Filipino gays are family-oriented, respectful, and we love our elders.”
Robert R. Requintina
