Image: Instagram/@chinitaprincess
Actress Kim Chiu recently issued an apology on social media after her “bakla” term on “ASAP: The Love Connection” last Oct. 7, Sunday, didn’t sit well with some viewers.
Chiu and comedian Kakai Bautista were acting out a skit where Bautista’s boyfriend, who they were waiting for to arrive, suddenly breaks up with her via text message. As they deal with the situation, Chiu apparently asks Bautista whether her ex-boyfriend is a real man since he broke up with her on the phone.
Although the video of Chiu saying the remarks on live television seemed not to have been shared, some netizens were able to quote her when she said them. A certain Henri (@henriigna) took to Twitter on Oct. 7 where he called out Chiu for her “bakla” remark.
“Kim Chiu on ASAP: ‘Nakipagbreak sayo sa text? Lalake ba yun? May lalake bang ganun? Bakla yun!” wrote the netizen Henri (@henriigna). (He broke up with you via text? Is he a man? Is there a man like that? He’s gay!)
“EXCUSE ME??? Being gay does not equate to weakness and cowardice. Let’s stop this kind of stereotype.
Marami akong kilalang LGBTQ na mas matapang sa pag-ibig kaysa sa straight.” (I know many LGBTQ who are more brave in love than those who are straight.)
https://twitter.com/henriigna/status/1048797450385809408
The netizen’s tweet has garnered over 17,000 favorites and almost 3,000 retweets in just a day, seemingly echoing other netizens’ sentiments regarding Chiu’s tactless remark.
Chiu, on her end, took to Twitter on Oct. 7, the same day, to clarify her remark. She explained that she and Bautista were just joking and using the word “bakla” was not intended.
“To everyone watching ASAP TLC glad you enjoyed the segment pero may word doon about ‘bakla’ not intended sadyang biruan lang po namin ni @kakaibautista,” Chiu explained. (To everyone watching ASAP TLC glad you enjoyed the segment but the word “bakla” was not intended, it was just a joke between me and @kakaibautista.)
“I love gay me myself is also baklang babae!” she continued to say. “Lokohan lang po namin ni Kakai yun, there is nothing wrong with being gay.” (I love gay I too am a gay woman! Kakai and I were just fooling around, there is nothing wrong with being gay.)
to everyone watching ASAP TLC❤️ glad you enjoyed the segment pero may word doon about “bakla” not intended sadyang biruan lang po namin ni @kakaibautista i love gay me myself is also baklang babae! lokohan lang po namin ni kakai yun, there is nothing wrong with being gay❤️
— kim chiu (@prinsesachinita) October 7, 2018
Bautista retweeted Chiu’s post as well, echoing her words that they were both just joking after all.
“Huy! Guysssh anong kaguluhan to?! WALA SIYANG GINAGAWANG MASAMAAAAAAAA!” Bautista said in defense of Chiu. “Kayo nemen! Happy happy lang tayo!” (Hey! Guys what’s the fuss about? She didn’t do anything bad! You guys! Let’s just be happy!)
She added, “Nagkukulitan lang kame.” (We were just fooling around.)
https://twitter.com/kakaibautista/status/1048819784010293249
While Chiu and Bautista defended that they were just joking when the “bakla” remark was made, others would say that when it comes to matters that concern the LGBTQ+ community, such are never just a joke as these contain subtexts that are harmful to the community.
The “bakla” word in itself, which means a gay person, is still used until today as a demeaning and derogatory term to refer to someone as weak, effeminate, or feeble. “Gay”, too, is often used as an insult.
The phrase “That’s so gay!” has since been identified by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) Resource Center of the University of California, Davis as part of their “Words that Hurt and Why” educational poster in the 2000s.
As per UC Davis, the phrase “That’s so gay!” stigmatizes gay and queer people.
“[It] uses their identities to describe something as undesirable and bad,” UC Davis wrote on their website. “[It] replaces negative adjectives with words related to LGBTQIA identities.” NVG
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