“Ako’y isang sirena. Kahit anong gawin nila, bandera ko’y ’di tutumba,” goes the Gloc-9 song “Sirena” about the Filipino queer struggle for acceptance. It’s this song that John Alexis “Papa B” Avestrus references in his viral post about making his kid Santino’s mermaid dreams come true for their eighth birthday.
Avestrus shared a photo of him carrying Santino who’s wearing a rainbow-colored mermaid costume taken during Santino’s joint birthday celebration with younger brother Aaron. As you can see on the table, Santino’s cake and tray of cupcakes are also mermaid-themed.
“Pinanganak kang lalaki pero pusong babae. ’Di ako magician para gawin kang iha! Pero mahal kita kaya, suporta ako sa kung ano man ang gusto mo,” Avestrus says in the caption. “Ayan ang wish mo. Isa ka [nang] sirena. Wag mo hayaang ibaba nila ang bandera mo! I love you, Santino.”
The pair received an outpouring of support from netizens who commended Avestrus for being a responsible father who respects his kid. “Ganito ang pagmamahal!,” wrote Pride PH National Convener and Miss Trans Global 2020 Mela Habijan. “Saludo! Mabuhay ka, Papa B! Nawa, lahat ng mga tatay at mga magulang ay maging kagaya mo!”
There were also a number of queer commenters who expressed how much they wished they had a father like him. Other parents also took it as an opportunity to share their own experiences with accepting their queer kids.
However, Avestrus did receive a number of negative comments from homophobic bigots. “Mahal ko siya at wala namang problema sa gusto niya. Issue lang sa iba ang pagiging trans child,” Avestrus told The Philippine Star.
In a separate post, Avestrus also cheekily responded, “Demonyong ama daw ako kasi kinunsinte ko yung anak ko maging bading. Okay fine! 😂😘” We need more of this unbothered supportive parent energy.
It’s heartwarming to see so many Filipinos banding together to celebrate Papa B’s love for Santino and acknowledging that this is what being a good parent looks like. It’s a testament that our hard work in building a better future for young queer kids is paying off.
Photo from John Alexis “Papa B” Avestrus
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