Netizen speaks out against gay discrimination on Eat Bulaga

Posts on gay discrimination are once again circulating on social media. Netizen Cha Roque posted her dismay over the popular noontime show Eat Bulaga‘s Problem Solving segment which aired on May 22 (see post here). The episode made waves as a gay father joined the segment and asked for advice from the trio of Jose Manalo, Paolo Ballesteros, and Wally Bayola on how his children may be spared from discrimination because of his sexual orientation. To some netizens’ dismay, the father was advised to “stop” or refrain from being what what he is, pertaining to the fact that the father dressed and spoke effeminately. One of the hosts, Tito Sotto, further commented for the father to “go back into the closet.” The comment sparked outrage over members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

In her post, Roque writes:

An Open Letter to Eat Bulaga from a Lesbian Mom

Dear Eat Bulaga,

I am Cha, a single lesbian mom to an eleven year old daughter. I’ve seen the video of your segment (Dabarkads na beki, may asawa at tatlong anak) and I was appalled at how you handled the situation: how you suggested that this guy should go back to the closet so his kids won’t be discriminated is like saying that homosexuality is a sin. You made it appear like homosexuality is a disease and that he should keep it from his kids so as not to “infect” them with it. I feel sad for the guy for trusting you with what he is going through only to be treated that way.

It was an immature and uneducated move. Eat Bulaga is an institution, you have millions of followers spanning the whole Philippines. Needless to say, the personalities in your show are influential. You even have a Senator blatantly telling this guy to go back to the closet. Don’t you have gay or lesbian colleagues or staff in your show? What if the participant was a lesbian mom? Would you ask her to go back to the closet as well? Would you say the same to Aiza Seguerra if she was in the situation?

I am a lesbian mom and I chose not to hide in the closet, because I love my kid. I don’t think she deserves to be lied to and lying to her about who I am is the biggest betrayal. You don’t hide secrets from the people you love – more so your identity. It is shows like yours and opinions like those that was expressed in your show that encourages the bullying of LGBT people and their families. It is unfair that my child got bullied because of who I am but the way I raised her equipped with with the strength to face the world bravely. It is unfair that people (like you) will judge her not for who she is, not for how she excels in school, not for her craft but for who her mom is. This is why I chose to come out of the closet and fight for our rights.

We (LGBT people) do not want to hide. We want to be accepted, and acceptance is different from being tolerated. It is not okay that you are only okay with us if we keep quiet. It is not okay that you coexist with us just as long as we don’t complain about how we are treated.

You are not in the position to tell this guy “bumalik sa closet” or “bakit kasi nag-asa-asawa” or threaten to hurt him (jokingly). You are promoting a culture of hate. You are telling the world that corrective beating up is okay to make a gay guy become manly. You are telling the world that the only key to be accepted is to hide who you truly are.

We have the right to our choices. We know who we are and you don’t have the right to tell us to be otherwise.

Judging from all the things you said here, I say I better make my child stay away from your show. I feel more secure with my kid hanging out with my gay and lesbian friends. I am more secure that she will get valuable life lessons from them and not learn rubbish. This incident just proved once again how homosexuality is far more clean than Eat Bulaga and its hosts’ opinions will ever be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itO_lMBhfmk&feature=youtu.be&list=PLG9vu5o9a3BQqhKxcpcGvO_7ieUJvqs-K&t=1577

Problem Solving is a segment on in Eat Bulaga‘s Juan For All, All For Juan wherein locals line up to ask advice from the trio of Jose Manalo, Paolo Ballesteros, and Wally Bayola, while the hosts such as Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Tito Sotto watch and join in remotely from Eat Bulaga headquarters. The show is meant for entertain and is open to people from all walks of life, but in this particular episode, the “advice” may have gone a step too far.

After each one has been given advice, the hosts ask them if “May natutunan?” [“Did you learn something?”] In this case, it seems those who should learn something are the hosts.