Pacific Island Times PIT 2018 June Vol 3 No 6 | Page 5

Brief Chat
Lasia Casil
Guam’s first transgender political
candidate will test the island’s
attitude and acceptance
By Johanna Salinas
U
ntil this past decade in America, it wasn’t
uncommon for LGBT individuals to be
harassed or even be violently as-
saulted. While the world is more accept-
ing of LGBT today, individuals in this
sector still experience discrimination
and harassment. Guam is no exception
to the remnant of the unevolved atti-
tude toward the alternative lifestyle,
according to Lasia Casil, president
and founder of Isa Guam and Guam
Pride.
Casil is Chamorro. Yet, she didn’t
feel welcomed in Guam because
she is a transgender. She once lost
a job opportunity at a local hotel
when the HR department learned
about her identity. “I left Guam
25 years ago for being bullied
— being told that I’m less
than Chamorro, being told
that I didn’t deserve to be
here.”
During her absence on
Guam, Casil worked in
real estate in Los Angeles,
New York and Thailand.
Now back home for good,
Casil designs jewelry for
her own Infinite Charm
product line and is engaged
in social activism.
“I came back years later
and found out that’s still
going on,” said Casil,
who is hoping to make it
to the Democratic Party’s
senatorial line-up in the
August primary. “Recent-
ly someone called me a
man. It shows that there
is ignorance and bigotry
on this island. That’s
one of the reasons I’m
running for senator.”
A couple of months
ago, a 16-year-old came
up to her and told her he
was being bullied at school.
“A kid come up to me and told
me his mother took in two of his friends because
their parents kicked them out for being gay. We
have a serious problem on this island,” Ca-
sil said, noting that there’s little support
for LGBT on Guam. “These are home-
less kids that are being discriminated
against because they’re LGBT. And
it’s not being addressed. When you’re
homeless, it leads you vulnerable to
abuse and addiction. I want to make
sure there are laws protecting the
youth from being bullied… and
laws preventing discrimination
in healthcare, housing and
public spaces.”
Casil, who studied at the
University of Maryland
in Munich, Germa-
ny, has established
herself as the
voice for Guam’s
LGBT. Since the
Isa Guam and
Guam Pride’s
goal is to promote
equality, Casil said,
“I want to make it
accessible to the
whole community.
I’ve wanted to
create Pride events
that were outside
of the nightclubs
because in the
clubs you have
to be 18 to enter
and it feels very
exclusive.”
About a year
and a half ago
GVB approached
Casil and asked
her to ma ke a
presentation
about LGBT
tourism. “GVB
joined the Inter-
national Gay and
Lesbian Travel
Association
because they wanted to explore this market,” said
Casil, who is also president of I Sengsong Chamor-
ro’s Merchant Association. “The biggest draw of
LGBT tourists to different countries is Pride events.
When I presented to GVB about a year and a half
ago, in a room of about 20 employees, I asked them
if they knew what pride means and only one person
raised their hand. Most of them had no idea what
Pride was. I had to educate them, because Pride is
an important part of LGBT culture. Pride isn’t just
a party — it’s remembering our fight and what we
have gone through since Stonewall.”
Her presentation was meant to educate GVB on
the LGBT culture and what Guam has. “We don’t
know how many LGBT people visit Guam because
we don’t ask them,” she said. “I told GVB if I were
to develop this, it would be a five-year plan and
I’d need their help for five years. This would align
with the GVB goals of 2 million by 2020. Advertis-
ing to this community can contribute to that.”
Casil, however, worries about possible “pink
washing.” One of the most common mistakes made
by companies trying to tap the LGBT market is
thinking they can just put a rainbow flag on their
product and it makes it LGBT friendly. “We’re a
very savvy crowd,” Casil said. “If the company
isn’t donating to LGBT causes, we’d know it.”
Casil hopes to create more responsible and
respectful ways to market LGBT tourism. Citing
PATA reports, Casil said there were 25 million
LGBT visitors around the world last year and 8
million of those came to the Asia Pacific region.
“If Guam could capture 1 percent of that, which is
80,000 visitors, that would mean $125 million to
our economy,” she said.
While her platform is focused on equal rights,
Casil is also engaged in environmental and cultural
activism. “I’m an advocate for protecting the en-
vironment and protecting Chamorro lands. I’m not
anti- development. I’m pro responsible-develop-
ment,” said Casil, founding member and president
of Save Southern Guam. “Those developers didn’t
follow the rules set before them. The Guam Land
Use Commission didn’t listen to the community
when we said we didn’t want those towers in our
backyards.”
As Guam’s first transgender candidate for public
office, Casil’s senatorial run will be a test of the
island’s acceptance and renewed attitude.
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