"Reyna Delas Flores": A Commune of Elderly Filipino LGBT Divas

EVERY DAY PHOTOGRAPHERS AROUND THE WORLD looking for new ways to tell stories or to capture what we previously did not notice. We choose interesting photo projects and ask their authors what they wanted to say. This week we are publishing the "Reyna Delas Flores" project of a young Filipino photographer, Geloy Concepcion. A few years ago, he met the inhabitants of the same-name orphanage for elderly gays and lesbians in Manila, and when he learned that the institution was closed, and its residents had lost their homes, he decided to support friends with what he could - to tell the world their stories.

Before becoming a photographer, I was a street artist and painted the walls of Manila houses. On the streets I met very different people and saw how they live. The desire to tell their personal stories and led me to a photo. Today I rent for newspapers, magazines, at events, and then with this money I can work on my non-commercial projects.

Reyna Delas Flores is a haven for elderly gays and lesbians in Manila, who was founded by retired writer and civil servant Justo Justo. The inhabitants of the orphanage call themselves "Golden Gays" and consider it their home. I met one of them, 87-year-old Mommy Leoni, in 2011 and took off her portrait. She survived a lot: during the Second World War fell into sex slavery to the Japanese soldiers who occupied the Philippines. Last year, when analyzing photo archives, I saw a picture of Mom Leoni and realized that I wanted to visit her at the shelter. Unfortunately, it turned out that Golden Gays no longer live there. After the death of Justo Justo in 2012, the orphanage was closed, and its inhabitants were dispersed - someone went to relatives, others were homeless. I searched for them everywhere, including on the streets of Manila, but eventually I found them in social networks. Golden gays president Ramon Busa responded to my calls, through her I invited all of them to take a picture.

I only wanted one thing - for old friends to be reunited. I rented a photo studio and asked them to put on their best outfits and do makeup. It was important for me to make them feel special. As it turned out, this was their first studio shoot. I hope, thanks to my project, more people will learn the history of "golden gays" and they will get support not only in the Philippines, but also abroad. I continue to follow their fate and document their lives. It's amazing that at the same time they remind me of my grandmother and grandfather. This letter "golden gays" was sent to me after the shoot:

"You probably came across us on the crowded streets of Pasay. We are Golden Gays - a friendly team of energetic people who had to part with each other, but a feeling of unity still burns in our hearts. We are not together, but we are one. The founder is Golden Gays Justo Justo died in May of 2012. Together with him, the only place that we had considered our home for so long was gone, some of us were lucky — relatives and kind people took them to themselves, but the rest were left to the mercy of fate and forced wander the streets penniless rmane. It's one thing to be alone, but there is nothing worse than to be unnecessary.

Despite all the difficulties of life, there is one thing that will never stop making us a little happier. Events, processions, parties - everything that allows us to get together. Therefore, we are immensely grateful for the mere invitation to this photo session. Moreover, this is our first shooting in the studio. We can no longer close our eyes to our age. Who knows, maybe for some of us this is the last opportunity. It doesn’t matter whether it's a procession or a photo session, we always give it our all. We will wear bright long dresses and jewelery, which we will lend specifically for shooting, cover our thinning hair with wigs, emphasize our beauty with makeup and complete the image with a drop of perfume. Preparation is always the most important and enjoyable stage. She awakens in us memories of youth, everyone begins to tell stories and laugh. We are very different, and each carries its own incredible charge of energy. And at once it seems as if age had no effect on us; we are a group of people who do not know what it is like to grow old. Little by little we transform into our characters. Here is Mama Leoni, she is 87, but she slides along the stage as smoothly as she did sixty years ago. Now look at Carmen’s Roux case, she is 73 years old and she doesn’t hear well, but takes a striking pose at the same second that the flash of the camera sparkles. There is no doubt that we are more alive than ever. However, any flower needs soil to bloom.

We are Golden Gays. We went through a lot and survived even what it was impossible to survive. We put up with homelessness and illnesses that many would have forced to give up. It is very important for us to become an inspiration for those who are ready to follow their hearts and dreams, especially for young gays. We hold thanks not only to each other, but also to the support of others. No matter how big or small the support is ready to provide us with a society, it is much more important for us to just be remembered.

Thank you for remembering Golden Gays. Thanks to your thoughts, Reyna Delas Flores will continue to flourish. As our deceased friend Walterina Markova used to say, the show must go on.

Ramon Sea Bus,

Golden Gay "