“Mas makulay ang buhay maging bakla. Yung mga kwento ng mga tao, iba’t-iba.”
Nariese co-owned FFTG, a café in Quezon City that quickly became a beloved haven for queer people to gather, connect, and enjoy drag performances. The café opened its doors in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—a challenging time when safe, joyful spaces for the LGBTQI community were more essential than ever. For Nariese, creating such a place was a lifelong dream.
“Nung tinatayo namin siya, parang nabanggit ng mga friends ko na matagal ko nang dream yan. Sa The L word, meron cafe doon na, yung The Planet. Sa morning, cafe siya at sa gabi parang inuman. Noong time na yun, nilabas siya 2003-2004, wala kang makikitang gano’n na space na nagsusumigaw na pang LGBTQI ito.”
Her sense of belonging stemmed not just from shows like The L Word, but from her family—especially her mom, who always embraced her queerness.
“Nung nawala ako one time sa SM, biglang sinabi sa customer service, “paging the parents of a lost boy”. Kaya naman [pagkatapos non], etong nanay ko— “damitan ko na kaya yung anak ko”. Nung second year high school, doon na ako nagpa-cut ng maikling buhok. Isa ako actually sa mga masuswerte, kasi tinanggap ako ng nanay ko, at ng lola ko na super religious.”
This early acceptance shaped her into someone who spreads kindness, empathy, and compassion. “Pag inalagaan ka kasi ng maayos. Parang eventually, magiging mabuti ka talagang tao at masha-share mo yun sa iba. Yung empathy at compassion, mase-spread mo siya.” And that’s exactly what she did. Nariese didn’t just create a café—she built a haven for queer joy and connection.
“Pinaka-fulfilling for me, yung second anniversary namin. Yung mga (drag) queens, kumuha kami, at nag-yes sila sa akin, thinking sila na, it’s for the love. So nagulat pa sila na nagbigay kami ng talent fee. So parang, nakabuo kami ng relationship sa mga taong to. Masaya yung parang, alam mo yung, hindi mo lang sila basta kilala lang, matatawag mo talaga silang friends. Yung street doon sa FFTG, pinasara na siya ng barangay. So, pati LGBT council sa barangay nagsupport din sa’min.”
Though FFTG closed this year, the memories of that space live on, especially for the many young queer Filipinos who found home in FFTG. “Marami nang nagpunta sa FFTG na mag-isa, kahit mga bata. tumatambay sila doon hanggang closing. Pag wala nang ibang tao, bigla silang, chichika sa amin na parang— ayoko pang umuwi, may iba kasi akong nafefeel (sa bahay).”
She remembers one particularly touching moment with a customer. “Nung buhay pa si Pilsen, yung pusa namin sa FFTG, Meron pumupunta tapos hinhiram niya lang si Pilsen. Nung time na yon, siya lang yung tao, kasi Sunday eh, gabi na. Tapos binigyan niya kami ng tip na 100, para pang cat food daw ni Pilsen. Tapos pag-uwi niya nakita ko sa Instagram na nagpost siya na birthday niya. So, imagine may gano’n na parang, nafi-feel nila na pupunta ko sa FFTG kasi, okay lang itong gawin”.
Nariese’s passion for creating spaces for LGBTQI Filipinos has only grown. She now hosts People Like Us, a special night that happens every month at Rampa Club in Quezon City, celebrating women-loving-women, queer, and trans folks. “Kaya ko siyang gawin forever. I think, ang pinaka, masayang part doon, pamilya namin yung mga tao.”
Nariese believes that if one day the SOGIE Equality passes, more filipinos will be braver.
“Feeling ko nga kapag napasa ‘yon, lahat tayo lalabas ng kalsada. Magpapadrag show talaga ko. Kapag napasa ‘yon, hindi lang siya basta masaya tayo, mas marami din yung magiging matapang.”
And as she continues to share her queer joy and create spaces where love and acceptance flourish, Nariese hopes that the ripple effect of her queerness will be felt for generations. Her story is a reminder that when one person dares to dream, they create a space for others to dream, too—spaces filled with courage, love, and happiness.
#HappyEquality
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