6 days Ago By Rappler.com
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – Award-winning Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga shared her experience as a mother and fierce ally to her trans son Nic Chien in an exclusive interview with People Magazine. Salonga, who currently stars in Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway production Old Friends, shared her open-minded and inclusive perspective on her son’s transition.
Nic was assigned female at birth, and recently started taking testosterone after coming out as transmasculine at age 14.“The one thing I’ve learned is that you have to raise your child the way your child needs to be raised,” she said. “As a parent, I want to set my child up for success.
”“I want my child to feel safe and strong and ready to conquer the world on their own terms,” she continued. .igframe iframe{background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;height: 967px;}@media screen and (max-width: 760px){.
igframe iframe{height: 710px;}u}On the cover of People Magazine, Salonga is seen standing proudly behind Nic. “I’ve learned how to raise a child who is their own being,” she said.Nic also talked about his ongoing journey and how it has affected him.
“I am still figuring it out. It took a while,” he said, adding that the process took “a lot of crying.”The 18-year-old also noted that he shared many conversations with his parents who were always “very accepting” so he never felt afraid to open up.
“It really helps to have people in your corner,” he added.The mother-son duo will take center stage in the Into the Woods production in the Philippines this August. Salonga will be reprising her role as The Witch.
Nic previously starred as Alice in the 2017 run of Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group’s Matilda. Now, following in his mother’s footsteps and stepping into the role of Jack, he finally achieves his lifelong dream of “playing boy characters.”Due to popular demand, Theater Group Asia added extra show dates for Into the Woods.
The new issue of People will be on newsstands across the US on Friday, April 4 (US time). – with reports from Bea Gatmaytan/Rappler.comBea Gatmaytan is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
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