Influencer Bretman Rock continues to defy gender norms as a non-binary baddie
This profile is part of Queerty’s 2023 Out For Good series, recognizing public figures who’ve had the courage to come out and make a difference in the past year.Name: Bretman Rock Sacayanan Laforga, 25Bio: This fiery and outspoken Filipino-American content creator, beauty guru, and social media personality was born in an Ilocano family in the Philippines before moving to Hawaii at seven years old.
With a name inspired by his father’s favorite pro wrestlers –– Bret Hart and The Rock –– it’s no surprise Bretman grew up playing nearly every sport. (“[You name it] b*tch, I did it,” he said.)One of three children, his mom worked hard to support the family and Bretman found escapism amongst Y2K reality TV shows like The Simple Life and burgeoning platforms like Vine and YouTube.Everything took off once he began creating his own videos and memes, later shifting to vlogs and beauty content.
When his 2015 video “How to Contour” went viral, Rock went from average high schooler on the internet, to social media celebrity.A post shared by Bretman Rock (@bretmanrock)After getting signed by a management company, the world was his oyster.
With an adorable family, an infectious (and at times, unhinged) personality, and incredible makeup skills, Bretman was soon recognized by Time and Forbes, and made his New York Fashion Week debut in 2019.His authentic (and occasionally explicit) online presence scored him a role in the YouTube Premium web series Escape the Night, his own MTV reality show MTV Following: Bretman Rock, and more recently, an online jungle survival series 30 Days with: Bretman Rock. (How does he look so fierce on a ten-mile trek?!)Bretman remains close to his island roots, having released Hawaiian-inspired makeup palettes with Morphe and wet n wild, and even his own sunglass line.
