By Ed Diokno
The celebrity Grand Marshals of the Pride Parade in San Francisco will include the cast of Transcendent from the Fuse TV network. Two of the five cast members are Filipinas, Nya and L.A.
The Ladies of AsiaSF, who perform at the popular restaurant/nightclub of the same name, achieved stardom last year with the launch of Transcendent. The show, produced by World of Wonder, the people behind RuPaul’s Drag Race, documents the struggles and triumphs of the five performers as they navigate their professional and personal lives. The show introduces trans women to mainstream audiences and rises above stereotypes, showing the real-life joys, heartaches and daily lives of these women.
Nya has been working at the club since she was 19 and L.A. is the youngest of the group and is just beginning her transition.
The other cast members are Bambiana, Bionka and Xristina.
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“We are five transgender women who have had to overcome heartache and struggles, but we have transcended and we are who we are and we celebrate who we are,” said Nya. “We get to be our authentic selves every day, and we are loving it.”
The other celebrity Grand Marshals will include Chinese American chef Melissa King, a finalist in the Top Chef TV competition, and actor Michael K. Williams.
The Pride Parade will be the culmination of a weekend of events. It starts Sunday, June 26, 10:30 a.m. along Market Street between the Ferry Building and the Civic Center where the celebration continues with a Festival starting at 11 a.m.
Pride weekend kicked off Friday when the S.F. Giants will host LGBTQ Night at AT&T Park; the Celebration starts at the Civic Center 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
“There’s still a long way to go,” Nya told NBC News. “You know, trans folks are in the media, not a lot, but a lot more than before. Being Asian — there’s hardly any cisgendered actresses. Well, in the United States, at least. I think it’s definitely groundbreaking.”
Ed Diokno writes a blog :Views From The Edge: news and analysis from an Asian American perspective.
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