Due to the Philippines’ conservative and Catholic culture, there’s a lack of representation and discussion on issues affecting LGBTQ+ kids in mainstream FIlipino media.

Bench turned the spotlight on a common but hidden experience common amongst Filipino LGBTQ kids - dressing up. Studies show that children whose exploration of their identity were inhibited at this stage grew up to have gender dysphoria, social anxiety, and emotional dysregulation, among other mental health issues.

The campaign opened avenues for discussion on social media, and started a nationwide cultural trend on TikTok, with 99.9% positive sentiment and a 22,741% ROI.

Bench has been a long-time LGBTQ supporter, launching various campaigns to support LGBTQ causes such as 1) Trans representation in the Philippine Fashion Industry; 2) mainstream representation of LGBTQ relationships, and 3) tackling issues of coming out.

Filipino kids have always been portrayed as the traditional, cute children of hetero-normative families. LGBTQ kids were rarely shown in mainstream media, and when they are shown, they are typecast as the flamboyant comedic relief in support of the beautiful hetero heroine.

The Brand wanted to break this mold and show LGBTQ kids as the stars of their own show as opposed to supporting characters to straight people’s lives. They are portrayed as realistically flamboyant but not the butt of society’s jokes. The goal is to create conversations by celebrating LGBTQ experiences.

To spark conversation on self-expression, Bench launched Curtain Couture, a film that celebrated the hidden rite of passage among LGBTQ children who secretly play dress-up using clothes of the opposite gender, for fear of being bullied or disowned by their families.

In a country obsessed with pageants, beauty is a term that has always been associated with the idyllic, traditional Filipino woman - coy, demure, simple, but most of all, a heterosexual, cis-gendered woman.

During the 90s to the mid 2000s LGBTQ people were always portrayed as comedic figures in mainstream media, often as sidekicks to straight women whose flamboyance offered openings for insults and jokes from the straight, male, macho leading character.

The disruptive idea was to reclaim this portrayal of flamboyant LGBTQ kids. Through Bench Curtain Couture, they were the star in their own runways. The film took the most traditional Filipino song describing the beauty of the Filipino woman and juxtaposed it with LGBTQ kids who are wearing makeshift gowns and dresses, describing them as “pretty as a butterfly.”

Curtain Couture featured real LGBTQ teens showing off homemade gowns and dresses made out of clothespins and curtains. In the film, the children strut proudly on the streets of a typical low income Filipino neighborhood, notorious for being unwelcoming to LGBTQ. They walk down their make-believe runway to “Mariposa Bella” (Beautiful Butterfly), a century-old Filipino folk song that was traditionally used by Spanish colonizers to describe the beauty and grace of an idyllic traditional Filipino woman. The song was modernized to gain new life and meaning, now narrating the metamorphosis of today’s LGBTQ youth.

The campaign gained widespread praise online:

- 99.9% Positive Sentiment

- 90% Organic Views (5M)

- 78% Engagement Rate

- 30M Reach

- 66M Earned Media

- 22,774% ROI

The film also started a nationwide cultural movement with users on TikTok creating thousands of transformations using the song, and inspired positive discussions on self-expression.

“With a brand like Bench, we are moving forward towards seeing the beauty in our identity.” Mela Habijan, Miss Trans Global 2020

“We’re providing them with hope, and ultimately the freedom to be whoever they want to be.” Rajo Laurel, PH Fashion Design Icon

Playing dress-up is a common activity among kids who are starting to transition from childhood to adolescence. They are exploring their identity, their preferences, and starting to express their emotions and thoughts. A huge part of this practice is done through clothing. It is expected for girls to try their mom’s makeup or for boys to wear their dad’s shoes, but occasionally children also try on the clothing of the opposite sex.

In the Philippines however, because it’s largely conservative and Catholic culture, it is generally frowned upon when kids cross dress, and corporal punishments are also known to happen as a consequence. So for most LGBTQ people, they grew up creating makeshift gowns and dresses from household items like blankets, curtains, bedsheets, etc to prevent discovery. Most LGBTQ people also did this in secret or in hiding, alone or with friends to avoid being punished by their parents.

The SOGIE Bill, which aims to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression was filed in 2004 but has not been enacted into law up until today. With no protection from the government, crimes against LGBTQ people, especially trans women, are now up to 200+ (since the mid 90s) with school violence and workplace discrimination still running rampant.

One of Bench’s past campaigns, “Love all kinds of Love” was censored by the Philippine Advertising Standards Council after major complaints from religious and conservative groups. The brand’s billboard showed two men, celebrities who were in a relationship, holding hands. Their hands were painted over by conservatives who protested the showing of obvious homosexual relations.

The amount of positive reactions to this film is made more significant against the country’s very conservative culture.