By Breaking Belize News Staff: Melvin Daniel Cortez Cano, the transgender influencer popularly known online as “Bestie,” has announced that he will no longer create content under the Bestie persona and will also stop representing the LGBTQ+ community through his social media platform.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Cortez thanked followers for supporting his journey and said his original goal was to bring laughter to Belizeans through short videos. But he said he has now reached a point where the purpose and meaning behind the content no longer feels the same.
“As of today, I, Melvin Daniel Cortez Cano, will no longer be participating in business advertisements, video collaborations, or creating content as ‘Bestie,’” the post stated. He added that he would “also no longer be representing the LGBTQ+ community” through his content and asked supporters to respect his decision.
The announcement is significant because Bestie had become one of Belize’s most visible LGBTQ+ social media personalities, and arguably the country’s most prominent trans influencer. In February, Greater Belize Media featured Cortez in a story about his life as an immigrant who grew up undocumented in Belize, noting that he had gained public attention after sharing his personal journey online. The story also described Cortez as a trans woman and highlighted the hardships he faced before becoming legally documented.
Breaking Belize News also reported earlier this year that Cortez had received approval under Belize’s Amnesty Programme and obtained permanent residence status, allowing him to work, live and contribute openly and lawfully in Belize.
Bestie’s public profile grew further during Pride Month. On June 3, he appeared on Greater Belize Media’s Open Your Eyes alongside Giles Ysaguirre for a discussion on pride, identity and acceptance. The segment described both guests as public personalities and advocates for inclusion who spoke about self-acceptance, authenticity, criticism on social media, and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ Belizeans.
His announcement also comes after he had begun attracting commercial opportunities, including business advertisements and, according to information provided to this newsroom, a recent endorsement arrangement with a local firm. In his statement, Cortez made clear that those forms of public promotion and collaboration would now come to an end.
Cortez placed the decision in the context of mental health and personal well-being, writing that sometimes a person can spend so much time making others smile that they forget to ask who is making them smile.
“I choose to focus on myself and my well-being,” he wrote.
The post marks a notable shift for a figure who had become closely associated with LGBTQ+ visibility in Belize. While Cortez did not elaborate further, his statement suggests not only a withdrawal from content creation, but also a decision to distance himself from the role of publicly promoting or representing the LGBTQ+ community through his platform.
He ended the message: “Bye, Besties.”
The post Pride Month Done: The artist formerly known as ‘Bestie’ done representing LGBTQ+ community; ‘Respect my decision’ appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Melvin Daniel Cortez Cano, the transgender influencer popularly known online as “Bestie,” has announced that he will no longer create content under the Bestie persona and will also stop representing the LGBTQ+ community through his social media platform. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Cortez thanked followers for supporting his
The post Pride Month Done: The artist formerly known as ‘Bestie’ done representing LGBTQ+ community; ‘Respect my decision’ appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
