Kevin Balot

{{Short description|Filipina actress and model (born 1986)}}

{{Infobox pageant titleholder

| name = Kevin Balot

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|9|25|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Tarlac, Philippines

| competitions = {{Ubl|Miss Gay Manila 2012|(Winner)|Miss International Queen 2012|(Winner)}}

| title = Miss International Queen 2012

|films=Die Beautiful}}

Kevin Roxas Balot (born November 25, 1991) is a Filipino model, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned Miss International Queen 2012, making her the first Filipino transgender woman to win the pageant.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=November 3, 2012 |title=Pinoy transgender crowned Miss International Queen |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/pinoyabroad/dispatch/280783/pinoy-transgender-crowned-miss-international-queen/story/ |work=GMA News Online |pages=2}}{{Cite news |last=Arcano |first=Nicole |date=September 12, 2018 |title=Who Is Kevin Balot, Pantene Philippines' First Transgender Ambassador? |pages=5 |work=Preview ph |url=https://www.preview.ph/beauty/kevin-balot-pantene-philippines-stronger-now-a00193-20180912 }}{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=November 5, 2012 |title=Miss International Queen 2012 Kevin Balot: 'I hope my dad will accept me' |pages=2 |work=Spot ph |url=https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/52267/miss-international-queen-2012-kevin-balot-i-hope-my-dad-will-accept-me }}{{Cite news |last=Damir |first=Sogolj |date=November 3, 2012 |title=Transgender beauty pageant crown awarded to Miss Philippines |pages=3 |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/transgender-beauty-pageant-crown-awarded-to-miss-philippines-1.1252352 }}

Early life and education

Balot was born to Renato and Liberty Balot. She has two sisters, Karen and Kimberly. As a child, her father, Renato, wanted her to be an engineer. This and other gendered expectations, such as criticism for wearing make-up, made it difficult for Balot to find acceptance from her family.{{Cite news |last=Arcano |first=Nicole |date=September 12, 2018 |title=Who Is Kevin Balot, Pantene Philippines' First Transgender Ambassador? |pages=5 |work=Preview ph |url=https://www.preview.ph/beauty/kevin-balot-pantene-philippines-stronger-now-a00193-20180912 }}{{Cite web |date=2018-12-24 |title=Kevin Balot's Journey To Becoming #StrongerNow |url=https://orangemagazine.ph/2018/kevin-balot-journey-to-becoming-stronger-now/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=Orange Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Bravo |first=Frances Karmel S. |date=June 28, 2023 |title=10 transgender trailblazers in Philippine showbiz |url=https://www.pep.ph/lifestyle/celebrations/174022/10-transgender-celebrities-in-philippine-showbiz-a5128-20230628-lfrm |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=PEP.ph |language=en}}

After graduating high school, she lived on her own and entered LGBTQIA++ beauty pageants in order to finance her college studies as a nursing student. She has a degree in BS nursing, and as of 2012 worked as a volunteer nurse.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=November 12, 2012 |title=Transgender winner undecided on sex change |pages=3 |work=ABS-CBN News |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/11/12/12/transgender-winner-undecided-sex-change }} That year she also accepted a job teaching English in Thailand.

Beauty pageants and modeling

In 2012, Balot won Miss International Queen in Pattaya, Thailand.{{Cite news |date=November 3, 2012 |title=Transgender beauty pageant crown awarded to Miss Philippines |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/transgender-beauty-pageant-crown-awarded-to-miss-philippines-1.1252352 |access-date=August 11, 2023}} Her winnings included US$13,000 and, if she wanted, a free gender-affirming surgery. Balot went on to accept this offer.

In 2018, Balot became one of Pantene's ambassadors for their #StrongerNow campaign.

Personal life

Kevin Roxas Balot is transgender.

Filmography

She played Tonet from the 2016 film Die Beautiful. She was also part of the music video during 2019 titled "Di Lahat{{Cite news |last=Bartolome |first=Donnalyn |date=June 12, 2019 |title=Di Lahat |pages=1 |work=Donnalyn |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13989368/ }}https://youtu.be/OhsWmwgF4bo" by Donnalyn Bartolome and was part on a TV series titled "Luv U" that was aired on 2015.

See also

References

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