Celebs on cross-dressing controversy

Even before the Valkyrie cross-dressing controversy hit the headlines, I already heard about it through my dalagay, IC Mendoza. While we were having lunch at home, he took a phone call from his good friend, Vice Ganda, who is a Valkyrie shareholder.

They had an animated discussion about the incident involving transgender fashion designer Veejay Floresca who was denied entry into the club. The brouhaha has been resolved after the joint’s owners apologized to Veejay.

Since I have a gay son, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) issues hit me bullseye. When IC was still coming to terms with his gender identity, he went through a cross-dressing phase.

I remember how enraged I got when a newbie actor bullied him during a shoot.

We are not the same as the LGBT community but we are nonetheless equal.

They more than deserve compassion and understanding because they are such a lovable bunch. The world is zanier and more colorful with them around. Gay pride… wear it well (cross-dresser or not)!

Some celebs chime in with their opinions:

Ces Drilon: I am all for supporting LGBT rights. I hope establishments like clubs, restaurants and the like will respect the rights of the LGBT community.

Joel Lamangan: LGBT people in our country are Filipinos whose rights are protected by the Constitution. They may be different and act differently but they are also human beings and must be respected. The full protection of the law must be accorded them.

Aiza Seguerra: The problem is that until now there is still limited awareness and knowledge about gay people. Now that the issue has been resolved, I hope it will open more avenues for discussion. There are still so many people who are clueless about LGBT rights.

IC Mendoza: What happened was unfortunate, but it’s also a good thing in the end. It opened many closed minds and resulted in a lot of support from netizens, not only from the LGBT community. It’s a big step towards our goal which is a world free from hate and discrimination. I am and will always be one with my LGBT brothers and sisters.

Shalani Soledad: Discrimination is such a thing of the past. Every person has a right to live and express himself or herself. Every person should be treated fairly and with utmost respect, regardless of one’s gender preference.

Jose Javier Reyes: Your life, your choice. And choices have rewards, consequences, responsibilities and reactions. You deal not only with your choices but the attitudes and reactions of others. Respect yourself and you gain the respect of others. Acknowledge the diversity in others and you will be credited for your differences as well.

Tuesday Vargas: We claim that we are a welcoming people, ready to receive guests with a smile and open arms. How ironic that we turn a blind eye to our fellow Filipino, who just happens to wear heels … This hypocritical behavior affirms that we should reassess our perspectives a bit.

Mr. Fu: There’s nothing wrong with having rules in every establishment, but these regulations should not discriminate against individuals.

Kim Atienza: Some may not like them but respect and honor knows no gender.

Kapamilya app wins

ABS-CBN’s commuter safety mobile app “PasaHero” (PH) bagged the Silver Tambuli for the Advocacy category and the Bronze Tambuli for the Mobile category in the Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards night.

It marks the app’s ninth and tenth recognition since its launch in November 2013.

“We’re honored to be recognized by different award-giving bodies for our public service efforts,” said Boggs Labayen, digital strategist of the PH team.

“Our main goal in developing the app was to help people during their commute and give them tools to protect themselves. We now have 70,000 users. We are further developing the app and plan to go onto smart devices and the Internet.”

Riding high the PasaHero way!

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