A law student and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, Dora shares how he uses his platform to promote authenticity, equality, and positive change in society.

PHOTOGRAPHY Cru Camara
STYLING Maura Rodriguez
Dora Dorado, a whirlwind of energy and talent, embodies the essence of modern versatility. A law student entering his senior year, Dora is also a dancer and content creator. He&rsquo;s also a graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in Clothing Technology, making him a real-life Elle Woods but with more vibrancy and resilience.
Dora's journey as a gay content creator (he/she/they) has instilled in him the importance of using his platform for the better. "My social media is a social diary," He says, "But that, in itself, is how I use my platform for queerness. Being able to show that I can live my life freely is already a strong message." His genuine approach and willingness to be himself resonates with many &ndash; especially younger folks in the LGBTQIA+ community&ndash; demonstrating that a life lived openly is not just fulfilling but also incredibly possible.
While Pride Month this year coincides with Dora's focus on exams, he remains steadfast in his commitment to participate when possible. In this exclusive interview with L'Officiel Philippines, Dora Dorado brings a refreshing dose of fun-filled positivity and a message of acceptance.

Hi Dora! Can you share your journey and how your identity as an LGBTQIA+ person has influenced your path as a content creator and now as a law student?
I think I owe a lot of my skills and my grit to my queerness. Like because you are queer kasi, you have to be successful, smart, funny, quick kasi parang society has built it na parang kailangan mong ibawi na parang being gay is something so negative so kailangan may pambawi ka. Parang &lsquo;bading siya pero gan&rsquo;to yan&rsquo; &ndash; so it is something I had to overcome. Like all my life, I aim for success with everything that I do&ndash;in dance, in content creation, in everything. Nadala ko siya sa lahat ng ginagawa ko.
How has your background in social issues and politics influenced your decision to pursue a career in law?
Real sa real, me pursuing law was like on a whim. Then I thought nga parang &lsquo;di ako magtatagal but then eto na ako, graduating na ako. One year na lang. It wasn&rsquo;t a calling na,&nbsp; &lsquo;Oh I wanna change the world, I wanna change the Philippines.&rsquo; But sabi ko lang talaga na what if mag-apply ako, tapos pumasa, tapos now nagtuloy-tuloy na siya.
I wanna end up in government in one way or another. No matter kung saan man ako mapadpad, I wanna end up in government &ndash; may it be in the public attorney&rsquo;s office, BIR, ganyan &ndash; anything to just get in the government. I feel like we need good people in the government.

Knitted shirt, P2290, H&M, SM Makati

What are your thoughts on the current state of the SOGIE Bill? Why should the law be passed now?
The only argument lang talaga against the SOGIE bill is that it grants privileges more than rights which isn&rsquo;t the case. We are only really battling the conservative religious sector. And &lsquo;di ko gets, honestly. Ate, ang tagal-tagal na &lsquo;yan, nauna na yung ibang bansa sa &rsquo;tin. What&rsquo;s funny is the only opponent is the religious sector; the country that brought us religion has same-sex marriage. Spain has it &ndash; so hindi ko gets, ano na? Because we need it now more than ever, we can&rsquo;t deny that we exist. We are already here.&nbsp;
Parang it&rsquo;s not more on the marriage mismo, it&rsquo;s what comes with it. It&rsquo;s the fact that if your partner gets hospitalized, you can&rsquo;t even be there to make decisions for him. But like, just to be able to live, to be able to celebrate your life with the one you love. The best time to pass it is now! You could quote that. Headline!&nbsp;
How do you see your role as a future lawyer in advancing LGBTQIA+ rights and addressing other social justice issues?
Yung thesis ko now in Ateneo is about yung nangyari kay Vice Ganda and Ion sa ShowTime, &lsquo;di ba na-suspend sila for 10 days? My thesis is about, in a nutshell, the excessive powers of the MTRCB to censor media. Mine is focused on gender. I guess in that way, being able to create more spaces for the queer community to actually express themselves more safely. Now we can censor mass media, TV, movies, magazines, whatever. I guess online naman, it&rsquo;s a more free space. But not everyone has access to the internet. They have access to Cinemalaya, Metro Manila Film Fest, you can show a lot of queer content there. So I think being able to help create more inclusive space in media and in entertainment for queer people to freely express themselves is one of my current contributions in my future profession.&nbsp;
What are your advocacies for the LGBTQIA+ community and how have you been supporting them?
To be completely honest, I think my advocacy right now is stopping those who spread scandals. &lsquo;Di ba andaming influencer na nagkaka-scandal tapos andaming nag-a-ask ng link. That&rsquo;s so sick. These people live very wholesome lives online, and even when you meet them in person, they&rsquo;re people. Tapos pinag-ppiyestahan online, and I&rsquo;m like, &ldquo;ugh, disgusting.&rdquo; [So I think it&rsquo;s] one of my main thrusts &ndash; [isa sa mga] iniinda ko lately. Friends mo pa minsan, I just wanna stop them.
HIV awareness is [also] a big, big advocacy of mine. Rates are getting higher and ages are getting younger. Get tested, practice safe sex, and all that!

In your opinion, how can someone be a good ally to the LGBTQIA community?
Oh wow! When you can offer protection, even words of affirmation na this is a safe space for you, ganyan. Laugh with us instead of laughing at us. We love laughing, as in, we LOVE laughing. It&rsquo;s one of my favorite things to do. Make us feel included. Include us in the conversation, just don&rsquo;t be jerks. &lsquo;Wag kayong bully.

Linen trousers, P4,995, MANGO, Glorietta 2

CREATIVE DIRECTION Maura Rodriguez
PRODUCERS Loris Pe&ntilde;a and Maura Rodriguez
MAKEUP Ria Aquino
HAIR Johnglen Aquino
PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT Lucille Raterta
VIDEO DIRECTOR Kevin Redder
INTERNS Red Binay, Andrei Santos, and Hannah Teng

Dora Dorado: Navigating Law with Pride

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