Leandro Muñoz (center) with kids Mason (left) and Frankie (Image: Instagram/@leandromunoz)
Former actor Leandro Muñoz revealed how he and his family have been supportive of his son Frankie, who is a transgender man.
Muñoz, who is now based in the United States, opened up on how his son overcame struggles with gender identity in Paolo Contis’ show “Just in” on YouTube last Sept. 2, as reported by Inquirer Bandera on Sunday, Sept. 6.
When Contis asked if Muñoz could talk about his son, Muñoz responded, “This is something I will never ever hide from the public or anyone should hide from the public because this is a serious matter.”
He recalled that his son came to him when he was 16 and was crying as he said, “I need help. I am wrong. I need help maybe from a psychiatrist.”
When Muñoz probed what was wrong, he said it was because he was attracted to the same sex.
“Sabi ko (I said), ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. Is that what makes you happy?’ Sabi niya (He said), ‘Yeah that’s what makes me happy. I feel like I am a boy, I am a man.’”
“‘Go with what you feel,’” Muñoz advised then. “My point here is kailangan talaga isupport natin (we really need to support) what makes our children happy.”
“Ever since na sinabi niya ‘yun… hindi na siya closet, hindi na siya nagtago. He came out,” he said.
(Ever since he said that…he was no longer in the closet, he did not hide anymore. He came out.)
“Now he goes by Frankie, he’s 26 years old now and he’s a male, a trans male. He’s very very happy.”
He also said Frankie wants to take up psychology since it is the same field that helped him, besides the support he got from his family.
Muñoz starred in movies “Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko” (1999) starring Fernando Poe Jr. Judy Ann Santos and “Anak” (2000) with Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto. He was also part of teleseryes “The Sisters” and “Felina: Prinsesa ng mga Pusa.”
He lives in California with his wife, Sheryl; they are both part of multi-level marketing company Primerica. They welcomed another child, Mason, last January. Niña V. Guno /ra
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