Mark Estephen, who is more known in the LGBT community as Sabel Gonzales, revealed on his Facebook account that he now lives as a man because of his renewed faith.
Under the stage name “Julia Barretto,” he joined Eat Bulaga’s Super Sireyna pageant in 2014 wherein he won and was declared as Super Sireyna Queen of Flowers.
In a series of Facebook posts, the former beauty queen, who never undergone any sexual reassignment surgery, narrated how he decided to transform his identity after following Christ.
“It’s 2018, and I found my true happiness in life from Our Lord Jesus Christ. Only God can [cause] change to you and to me so accept and follow Jesus now as our savior and repent from our sins. He is the only way, the truth, and the life to be with the Father and to be in heaven,” he said in his Facebook account.
He also left a message to the LGBT community regarding his decision.
“To all my Transgender sisters and family:
“It is my advocacy to tell the truth about Jesus, to get to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, because He is the way the truth and the life to the father in heaven. To share the Good news and preach the gospel of the Lord.
“It is not my advocacy to tell our trans sister that they need to be back as a man. I am sharing and expressing the joy in my heart that I found my salvation through Jesus. It is about Jesus, it’s not about me. Only God can change you for His will. In the end of the judgement day, it is between you and the Lord,” he said
“I am free and I found my real freedom, love, equality, respect, and acceptance for being who I am and what I am because of Jesus,” Mark Estephen said in another post.
Now residing in Arizona, USA, Mark Estephen was the Philippines’ representative at the Miss International Queen 2017, a beauty pageant for transgender women which is annually held in Thailand. Mark Estephen finished as one of the Top 10 finalists in the said pageant.
