TWIRLING on a pole has long been an integral part in the life of the 23-year-old Tiktok queer star Vince Quinabandal, famously known as Queen Mathilda Airlines, calling the act her “childhood hobby.”
It was then no surprise why she went viral last December 2022 after posting a video of her pole-spinning stunts on social media, attracting the attention of thousands of people who praised the content creator for her swift moves.
But what makes Mathilda even more deserving of praise is her resolve to bring social advocacies to her platform—a decision that many online creators dare not to do due to potential public backlash.
This makes Mathilda more than just a queen but a new queer voice for the people. Her resolute mission to educate people and engage with the marginalized sectors reminds us that celebrating Pride is indeed a protest.
In an exclusive interview with republicasia, the activist-queen shared her journey of queer struggles and fighting with the masses, her dream for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Philippines, and why bringing social advocacies online is a must.
The creation of ‘Mathilda Airlines’
Mathilda first rose to fame in 2022 when she posted a stunning pole-spinning stunt video on TikTok, somewhat copying the signature move of a Mobile Legends (ML) character of the same name.
“Na-gets na ‘yun ng mga bata kase ‘yung pag-ikot ko sa pole, it’s the same as Mathilda sa ML na kung paano siya lumipad. Same ‘yung motion ng katawan niya tapos ganoon siya ka-smooth,” she shared.
Her sudden online stardom was however not something that she anticipated, making her struggle to create her own ‘branding’ as a content creator.
“Hindi naman ako komedyante. Hindi rin ako singer, hindi rin ako dancer. I just decided [na] dalhin na lang ‘yung mga advocacies ko on ground to my platform and maximize it for a greater good,” she said, citing that it was her way of paying homage to her progressive activism.
Before becoming the famous ‘Mathilda Airlines’ on social media, the young content creator has been an activist for almost four years, fighting alongside the marginalized and oppressed sectors in society against social injustices.
Thus, being a content creator that produces informative and easy-to-understand content, for Mathilda, is her ‘calling’ in life.
“Through that I was able… to make my platform something relevant and at the same time malapit sa sikmura. Naiintindihan ng tao ‘yung mga malalaking issues na dapat nalalaman at naiintindihan nila kase sila talaga ‘yung pinaka-apektado.”
Life as a queer
What inspired Mathilda to pursue the progressive path of content creation?
The answer is simple for the young queer, “since noong nag-aral ako from elementary until senior high, nakakaranas ako ng mga discrimination because of my SOGIESC at hindi siya nakakatuwa.”
Mathilda recalled experiencing discrimination and aggression in places supposed to be safe places for many—in the streets, recreational venues, grocery stores, and even inside the halls of educational institutions.
Thanks to her family who accepted her for who she is, she did not struggle to find a safe space in her own home.
“Ang una kong kakampi e ‘yung mga magulang ko. Hindi ko naging struggle kung papaano mag-out,” she said.
However, Mathilda reiterated that her case does not represent the present situation of queer people in the country as many young LGBTQIA+ members are still experiencing gender-based discrimination inside their homes.
All the hate and discrimination Mathilda experienced growing up as a queer person has greatly shaped her decision to integrate with the masses and be the voice for the minority and the people.
“Noong una, hindi ko talaga naiintindihan bakit ba nila tayo dini-discriminate as a queer hanggang sa nag-engage ako with a friend, progressive groups. I engaged with different people from different walks of life. Through that I was able to realize, ito pala ‘yung pagtingin ng lipunan. It is because it is deeply rooted by heteropatriarchal society,” she shared.
Mathilda cited patriarchy as one of the root causes of injustices in society, which perceives women and LGBTQIA+ people as weak and inferior.
She also mentioned the historical significance of the queer struggle for equality, which has been ongoing for decades.
It is remembered that the struggle of Filipino queer can be arguably traced back to the 1980s when the lesbian community fought for visibility in the public amid the rise of women’s movement in the Philippines.
Later on, the first Pride March in the country and Asia was first held in June 1994 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riot. It was one of the historic events in the entire history of the LGBTQIA+ movement in the country.
Queer voice of the people, for the people
As a queer activist and content creator, Mathilda has become part of various progressive organizations in the country.
She used to work with Save The Children Philippines, a non-profit organization that fights for children’s rights and welfare, and served as an ambassadress of SAKAbataan, a youth-led coalition for the passage of “Magna Carta for Young Farmers.”
“Marami palang mga kabataang magsasaka na nahihirapan dahil sa mahal na presyo ng bigas, [pati] ‘yung sa lupa. ‘Yun ‘yung struggles nila for how many years. We are fighting for that Magna Carta kasi it’s a comprehensive law which really helps them and protects them against capitalist society,” shared Mathilda.
She also engaged with the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN) and Atin Ito Coalition.
The coalition is composed of various sectors in society, including religious groups, media professionals, youth organizations, civil society organizations, queer community, and Filipino fisherfolks, which supports the Philippine’s sovereignty claims in the West Philippine Sea against the incursion of China.
Last May, Mathilda was among the hundreds of volunteers who joined the second resupply mission in Panatag Shoal.
“Despite [the] Chinese militia presence, we were able to successfully deliver sacks of food packs and distributed thousand liters of gasoline sa mga mangingisda nating magigiting na Pilipinong araw-araw o dekada ng struggle ‘yung pang-aapi at pambu-bully ng Tsina sa loob ng ating teritoryo,” she said.
Mathilda was also very vocal on the issue of ongoing genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in her content, saying that one does not need to become Palestinian or Muslim to fight for these people.
“In times of injustice where human rights are being neglected, where humanity is almost trampled, hindi mo na iisipin [kung] sino ba ‘tong mga ‘to. Pipiliin mo pa ba sila? Syempre hindi na. You just have to see them as a human who also deserves dignity and equal rights.”
She also underscored that the struggles of various sectors in society are interconnected, arguing that the fight for gender equality should be integrated into the wider fight of Filipino people for social justice.
“Ako as an aktibista, kapag sinabi naming raise the minimum wage, kasama ang lahat. Kapag sinabi naming ibaba ang presyo ng bigas, syempre kasama ang lahat doon. Kapag sinabi naming ‘No to Jeepney Phaseout,’ hindi lang kami ‘yun, para ‘yun sa lahat,” she said.
Of course, as a queer herself, Mathilda has also been a proud advocate of gender equality.
“Syempre naniniwala pa rin tayo at hindi pa rin tayo bumibitaw roon sa laban na maipasa ito (SOGIE Bill) at magkaroon ito ng komprehensibong batas na puprotekta sa bawat isa,” said Mathilda, reiterating that the bill does not give queer people a ‘special rights’ once passed.
“Ang SOGIESC po ay hindi lang para sa LGBTQIA+ community dahil ang lahat po ng mga Pilipino ay may sexual orientation. Lahat po tayo ay may gender expression,” she added.
Responsible content creation
As a content creator who has now 1.2 million followers on TikTok, Mathilda believes that “digital footprint is irrevocable,” urging the public to fact-check before posting any content online.
“Hindi mo talaga mababawi kung ano ‘yung iniwan mong marka so if you spread disinformation and you realize na mali ito at binura mo, hindi mo na ‘yun mababawi e. Maaaring nabasa na ‘yun ng thousands or millions of people,” she said.
She reminds everyone, especially the youth, to be mindful when posting and consuming content online given that disinformation and misinformation remain prevalent in the digital world.
When it comes to producing her content, Mathilda told republicasia that she often relied on available and accessible legal documents since most of her content talks about monthly commemoration events, human rights, law-related themes, and social issues.
“Nagtatanong rin ako sa mga eksperto at sa mga mentors ko sa mga orgs na mga matatanda na at matagal na doon sa movement na pinaglalaban ko din,” she further added.
Mathilda also revealed that her content mostly caters to ages 18 to 24 years old, restricting ages below 17 from accessing her content due to the issue of ‘age-appropriateness’ in terms of language and themes.
She also mentioned the problem of “short attention span” prevalent among the youth and to remain visible in the algorithm, Mathilda uses pole-spinning stunts as her “attention tool” to capture the attention of the younger audience to help her further amplify social issues online.
Dream for the youth, LGBTQIA+ community
As part of the young generation, Mathilda believes that the youth of today has the power to break the “generational lies, curses, and trauma” imposed upon us by the previous generations.
“Gawin natin ‘yung generation na ito na mas progressive at may radical empathy. Kasi kung naiintindihan natin ‘yung pangangailangan at problema ng bawat isa, I believe we will be able to have that collective vision for our society.”
Meanwhile, as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, Mathilda hopes that the rainbow community will soon achieve a society free from any forms of discrimination and abuse.
But while we are still waiting for that ideal society to exist in the future, Mathilda reminds all young queer people to always stand their ground.
“Kasi alam mo ‘yung worth mo at hindi ‘yun nakabase sa sasabihin ng ibang tao no matter your gender is, no matter who you are kasi you just don’t know who you inspired just by being you so celebrate that,” she said.
Well, it is no exaggeration to say that Mathilda Airlines is indeed the queen that we deserve.
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Managing Editor: Henrick Chiu
Producer: Danica Rae Ulanday
Graphic Artist: Jadelyn Isiderio
Writer: Joshua Gerona
Video Editors: Joshua Ramos and Jewel Trinidad
Videographer: Joshua Ramos
Assisted by: Karl Ferrer and Andre Corras
Hair Stylist: Raymart Espina
Makeup/Glam Artist: Nikki Caranguian Urfano
Location: Fort Santiago, Intramuros
Production Staff:
Angela Cantiga
Janine Mae Claro
Michelle Ann Javier
Timothy Libres
Jerome Midoro
Alysson Palencia
André Joseph Salamida
Angelique Kara Sorbito
Special thanks to Camille Keith Sicat from Love, Camille for Mathilda’s outfit featuring an A-line red skirt and Inabel Iloco tapered Filipiniana blazer and to the Intramuros Administration.
