Story perspectives

Art Restores Precolonial Trans Babaylan, Highlights Modern Marginalization

5/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Juniper Sephadi illustrated an Asog babaylan with a Filipino trans woman in flag colours.
Precolonial babaylan were gender-nonconforming spiritual leaders who held power before Spanish suppression.
Spanish colonisers branded babaylan devil worshippers and imposed brutal punishments.
Naomi Fontanos of GANDA Filipinas and Erika Allosa say the artwork reclaims babaylan histories.
The 2014 killing of transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude, her 2015 conviction and 2020 pardon, expose ongoing marginalisation of trans Filipinos.

History

Historical Context

Miguel López de Legazpi’s 1565 expedition of roughly 500 men reached Cebu, and later founded Manila as the colonial capital, beginning Spanish rule that banned indigenous babaylan practices and imposed Catholicism. Centuries later, GANDA Filipinas artists Juniper Sephadi, Naomi Fontanos and Erika Allosa revive the suppressed babaylan legacy, echoing the marginalisation highlighted by Jennifer Laude’s 2014 murder, 2015 conviction and 2020 pardon.

1 of 2

Story summary

Juniper Sephadi illustrated an Asog babaylan with a Filipino trans woman in flag colours.
Precolonial babaylan were gender-nonconforming spiritual leaders who held power before Spanish suppression.
Spanish colonisers branded babaylan devil worshippers and imposed brutal punishments.
Naomi Fontanos of GANDA Filipinas and Erika Allosa say the artwork reclaims babaylan histories.
The 2014 killing of transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude, her 2015 conviction and 2020 pardon, expose ongoing marginalisation of trans Filipinos.

1 / 2