Image: Instagram/@angiemeadking
Businesswoman and car enthusiast Angelina Mead King told TV host Boy Abunda it was Facebook that outed her as a transgender woman.
King started to do hormones at the end of 2015 after her father died, she said on “Tonight with Boy Abunda”, as posted on ABS-CBN’s YouTube page, June 28. She was not planning to come out to her friends and family, and said it was social networking site Facebook that decided to out her.
“Midyear of 2016, Facebook decides to out me. Hindi ako nagpa-out, Facebook mismo,” said King. (I did out myself, it was Facebook [who did it].)
“Hindi ko nga alam paano nangyari kasi dati I used to keep two phones. Different numbers, different emails, hindi sila mag-ka-friends, walang connection. And then nag-notification na nagpadala sa lahat ng friends ko, ‘Your friend Ian King is on Instagram as Angie Mead,’ tapos dun na nagkalat.”
(I do not know how it happened because before, I used to keep two phones. Different numbers, different emails, there was no connection. And then a notification was sent to all my friends saying, ‘Your friend Ian King is on Instagram as Angie Mead,’ and that’s when it spread.)
That same day, King’s friends and cousins took screenshots of the notification and sent it to her, asking what was going on. She recalled not knowing what to do and turning to her wife Joey for help.
“I didn’t know also what to do, so kausap ko yung wife ko around lunchtime,” she said. “Sabi ko, ‘Ano, buksan ko na yung account?’ kasi andaming nag-fo-follow. Wala na tuloy tuloy na.”
(I didn’t know also what to do, so I was talking to my wife around lunchtime. I said, “What, should I open the account?” because there so many people were following it. And then there, it just continued after that).
“And who were there helping you sort out the new life?” asked Abunda.
“Definitely my wife Joey, my stepmom Ling. Walang judgment, hindi mahirap kasi may support (there was no judgement, it was not hard because there was support).”
Life has been great for King since she came out three years ago, adding that she is able to do more things after she has let go of the worries and mental pressure.
“Now, as a transgender woman, I have more businesses, I’ve had success with my racing career,” she said. “Andami kong nagagawa ngayon kasi parang yung weight sa utak ko nawala eh (I can do so many things today because the weight in my mind has disappeared), so from there I got to focus on many other things.” Cody Cepeda/JB
RELATED STORIES:
Angelina Mead King gets into accident during Ferrari race in Italy
LOOK: Angelina, Joey Mead King bond with Caitlyn Jenner
BB Gandanghari in urgent care after being bullied as transgender at work