Philippine pop culture has fully embraced American synth-pop artist Chappell Roan, who has done the impossible and risen into a global phenomenon within just five years. On national TV, singers like Jake Zyrus and Sarah Geronimo have put their own spin on the hit anthem “Good Luck, Babe.” The local fanbase has gone all in with drag queens throwing events inspired by her aesthetic, and comically large tarpaulins celebrating her Best New Artist win at the 67th Grammy Awards plastered across the city.
On March 13, Roan dropped her latest single, “The Giver,” which is sure to find home in the Philippines — a country where queer discourse is still seen as taboo and complex.
“As a lesbian myself, Chappell Roan discourse has been incredibly personal to me.” Nico Guevara, a queer music photographer,” says, “Over the years, even the word ‘lesbian’ is seen as a slur in media, often substituting lesbian for more fluffy and friendly words such as sapphic or “wlw” (women love women)” Guevara mentions that Roan’s presence has been a breath of fresh air, with Roan’s identity as a proud queer performer empowering her as a photographer.
“Lesbianism in general is seen as sort of a bad thing in the Philippines,” she says, “You have jokes about tomboys na naka [Yamaha] mio, tomboy na naka napkin, etcetera, that make the identity feel derogatory. So here’s Chappell Roan — a proud lesbian — singing and winning awards for a song about a common lesbian experience that people don’t talk about enough.”
She Gets It
According to Guevara, it’s powerful for the queer community to find themselves in Roan’s songs. “It made people who aren’t queer become more aware of queerness, even becoming more accepting of them,” she says, “Chappell Roan made me feel seen, feel less scared of proudly calling myself a lesbian.”
For the drag community in the Philippines, it’s more than just the music. Progressive drag performers were delighted to see Roan’s drag influences given a spotlight in the mainstream. Drag queens such as Gabriela She-Lang, Pura Luka Vega and Superstarlet XXX share their thoughts with Rolling Stone Philippines. “She inspires us queer artists to be who we are by providing a voice that champions authenticity and self-empowerment” they say, “[Chappell] helps to normalize LGBTQIA+ existence in spaces where it may otherwise be marginalized.”
Vega was declared persona non-grata in several local cities and provinces and was arrested for “offensive imagery” for portraying Jesus Christ during a drag performance at a rave party back in 2023. So as an advocate for safer spaces and freedom of expression, there’s an extra layer of difficulty for queer artists to make it in the industry. “Sa totoo lang, iba ang impact ng isang queer artist na nagpapakatotoo sa experiences of love through her songs, kaya siguro malakas sa mga bakla si Chappell,” they say. “I mean, maraming artist ang nagrecognize sa existence ng mga bakla… Pero iba rin hatak kapag galing mismo sa LGBTQIA+ community.”
Lastly, Superstarlet XXX offers a powerful analogy on the matter. “Si Chappell Roan yung tipo na friend who will stand up for you kapag na misgender ka sa mall or someplace else,” they say, “And I think that’s her impact to the LGBTQIA community. It’s not just about representation in the music industry, but it’s about lifting other people up and upholding the values of your community. She gets it.”
