"Horse Barbie": Geena Rocero and Bob Keary in Conversation

Twenty Summers

“The world makes you something that you’re not, but you know inside what you are.” Thus begins Geena Rocero’s earth-shifting TED Talk in March of 2014, a speech she wrote when the impulse to hide her truest self from the world—once deemed necessary—became unbearable. Born in 1983 in Manila, Geena began competing in local beauty pageants at the age of 15, winning local, then national adulation as she claimed trophy after trophy. With mounting fame came pressure and harsh criticism, and thus the necessity to harness the grit and strength of spirit that would ensure her continued ascent. From Filipina pageant queen to American model; from effeminate child dodging hateful taunts on the street, to transgender advocate imparting wisdom at the United Nations—this spring, Geena Rocero shares her singular journey in HORSE BARBIE: A Memoir (The Dial Press, 5/30/23). Born and raised in the Philippines, Geena Rocero is an award-winning producer, director, model, public speaker, trans rights advocate, and television host. She was named by Time magazine as one of the “Top 25 Transgender People Who Influenced American Culture,” and her TED Talk “Why I Must Come Out” has been viewed more than five million times and translated into thirty-two languages. Geena made history in 2020 as the first trans woman Playboy Playmate of the Year, and again as the first trans woman ambassador for Miss Universe Nepal. In 2020, she was honored on Gold House’s A100 List of the most impactful Asians and Pacific Islanders. Geena’s directorial debut, her limited series film Caretakers, was nominated four times at the 65th Annual New York Emmy Awards held in October 2022. Bob Keary is a Provincetown-based writer and talkshow host who has been living and working in town since 2005. His morning show “Wake Up! In Provincetown” airs every Friday at 9am on YouTube, and his late-night stage show “Good Night, Provincetown” is fast becoming a summer staple. When he’s not interviewing someone, you can still find him running his mouth and shaking cocktails behind the bar at THE red INN.