Philippines breaks barriers, elects first transgender woman to congress

The House of Representatives in the Philippines is making history, as the country has elected its first transgender politician.

Geraldine Roman, who ran on the Liberal Party ticket, beat her rival in Bataan with 62 percent of the votes, CNN reported.

Roman has been living as a woman for twenty years and has a male partner.

The country has a Catholic majority, with members of the LGBT community being ridiculed by politicians and other public figures, most notably boxing champ turned politician Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao earlier, and during a non-related race for Senate in 2016, said that gays were "worse than animals," The Guardian reported.

He later issued an apology.

Roman ran for, and won, the seat that was last held by her mother, CNN reported.

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