Gian Bernardino On Being A Queer Member Of A Boy Band On Billboard Philippines Volumes: “I think it broke stereotypes”
On the latest episode of Billboard Philippines Volumes, the Cup of Joe member opens up about championing representation and breaking stereotypes as a queer artist in OPM.
Courtesy of Gian Bernardino.
Courtesy of Gian Bernardino.
As one of the members of Cup of Joe, Gian Bernardino says he believes his presence in a boy band has helped challenge long-held stereotypes.
Speaking on the latest episode of Billboard Philippines Volumes, Bernardino hopes his visibility as a queer artist in mainstream OPM can pave the way for a more inclusive music industry. The Cup of Joe member highlighted its importance especially in today’s generation, recalling how he wanted to become the kind of artist he never saw represented while growing up.
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“When I pursued being a part of the industry, I’ve always aspired to be someone na hindi ko makita sa TV nung bata ako (that I couldn’t see on TV when I was a kid),” he shared.
Bernardino further admitted that joining a boy band initially felt intimidating because of the industry’s traditional expectations of masculinity and the format’s “boy-next-door” image. But through opening himself up to his bandmates and continuing to express his authentic self, he believes those expectations have gradually shifted.
Last year, the Cup of Joe frontman publicly came out as pansexual, proudly embracing his identity as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and becoming one of the few openly queer artists in the country’s mainstream boy band scene.
“I think it broke stereotypes,” he said. “I feel like there are young, aspiring artists na naghihintay ng ganitong klase ng (who are waiting for this kind of) representation in the OPM scene.”
The Cup of Joe vocalist hopes to become “one of the flag-bearers” for greater LGBTQIA+ representation in OPM, wanting a more progressive thinking when it comes to audiences viewing their favorite OPM artists.
“You can be whoever you want and not only be tolerated and accepted, but celebrated as well,” Bernardino declared, calling for artists to no longer be expected to fit narrow, heteronormative ideals.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Bernardino credited Cup of Joe’s growing success with giving him the confidence to express himself more freely, saying the group’s audience embraced him for who he is.
“I realized that I’ve become the main pop boy I’ve been dreaming of,” he said. “I dressed the way I [wanted] to dress, I moved the way I [wanted] to, and the audience ate it up. That gave me reassurance that as long as I’m authentically myself, we’d succeed no matter what.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Gian Bernardino is a vocalist and member of Cup of Joe, a Filipino OPM group. He is one of the few openly queer artists in the country’s mainstream boy band scene, having publicly come out as pansexual and spoken about LGBTQIA+ representation in OPM.
Gian Bernardino publicly came out as pansexual the year prior to his Billboard Philippines Volumes appearance, becoming one of a small number of openly queer artists in mainstream Philippine boy bands and a visible figure for LGBTQIA+ representation in OPM.
Billboard Philippines Volumes is a video interview series produced by Billboard Philippines, featuring conversations with OPM and Filipino artists. The series covers career milestones, creative identity, and the Filipino music industry. Gian Bernardino’s episode focused on queer representation and his experience in Cup of Joe.
Bernardino has stated that Cup of Joe’s bandmates and audience embraced him for who he is. He credited the group’s growing success with giving him the confidence to express himself freely, noting that authentic self-presentation has strengthened rather than hindered the group’s reception.
OPM’s mainstream boy band format has traditionally been associated with heteronormative “boy-next-door” imagery. Openly queer artists like Bernardino challenge those expectations and signal a broader shift in how Filipino audiences and the music industry receive artists who are publicly out and authentically self-expressive.
