Celebrity hairstylist Ricky Reyes. INQUIRER file photo
Celebrity hairstylist Ricky Reyes, who is considered by many as a gay icon, recently made known his stance on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality Bill (Sogie Bill).
Reyes was captured in a video telling reporters that he was asked to represent the LGBT community for President Rodrigo Duterte, but he did not see the point of it. The video was uploaded on YouTube by a certain Timmy Basil on Sept. 8 and was shared by Facebook page The Scoop on Sept. 9.
“What for? Para ano? Ilang presidente na ang natulungan ko, pang anim na si Presidente Duterte, bakit kailangan ko pang mag-LGBT?” Reyes said in the video. “Ako this year, lahat ng LGBT, nilikom ko sila lahat, sabi ko tigilan na ‘yang kabaklaan. ‘Wag na kayong magbistida… kasi lalo lang tayo pagtatawanan ng tao, okay?”
(What for? For what? How many Presidents have I helped? [Duterte] is already the sixth, so why do I still need to [represent the] LGBT [community]? This year, I gathered the LGBT, all of them, and I told them to stop all this gayness. Do not crossdress anymore because we just get laughed at all the more, ok?)
Reyes added that what they must do is to help other people so they would be loved. He also said that the oppression of the LGBT community should be kept to themselves:
“Ang api ng bakla, ang api ng bakla dapat sa ’tin lang ‘yan. ‘Wag nating ipangalandakan sa tao, ba’t kailangan pa sabihin sa madlang people na, ‘Uy intindihin mo nga ako, bakla ako.’ Teka muna.”
(The oppression of gay people should be kept within the sphere of gay people. We should not display it to other people. Why should we tell all the rest of other people, “Hey, understand me, I am gay.” Hold it right there.)
Reyes was also asked if he supports the rights of the LGBT community and the Sogie Bill, which is a hot topic as of late. It can be remembered that trans woman Gretchen Custodio Diez’s case became viral in August after she was discriminated against by a janitress and arrested while trying to use a female toilet at Farmers Plaza in Quezon City.
READ: Despite apology from mall, trans woman eyes charges
“Kung ikaw ay may nota sa lalake ka, pag may kipay ka sa babae ka,” Reyes said. “Nirerespeto kita bilang tao, nirerespeto kita bilang bading, pero lumugar tayo sa tamang lugar…”
(If you have a penis, go to the men’s room. If you have a vagina, go to the ladies’ room. I respect you as a human being. I respect you as gay, but let us be in our proper places.)
“Let it be na lang. Basta ang bakla ay bakla. Ang bakla maski anong gawin niyo, isulat niyo ‘yan, ang bakla ay bakla. Ang bakla, gilingin mo man ‘yan, ang labas niyan baklang hamburger,” he added.
(Just let it be. Gay is gay. Whatever you do, if you are gay, write that down, you are gay. Whether you grind that down, it will still turn out as gay, a gay hamburger.)
Reyes also does not believe in same-sex marriage. According to him, marriage should be between a man and a woman only.
“Ang kasal ay para lamang sa lalake at sa babae. Merong kasabihan sa Catholicism na sacrilege, pambabastos sa relihiyon. ‘Wag na. Ang pagpapakasal ibigay natin sa babae at sa lalake ‘yan, ‘di ba, kung gusto niyo ng union e ‘di mag-union kayo.”
(Marriage is only for a man and woman. There is such a thing as sacrilege in Catholicism. Disrespect of a religion. Do not bother. Let us leave marriages to women and men, right? If you want a union, then have a union.)
Reyes cited his own long-term relationship, which has lasted for more than 40 years, as an example:
“Bakit ako, I’m in a relationship for 40 plus years, pero we don’t go out of our way to say, ‘Kailangan namin magpakasal,’ no more. May kasabihan tayo, you never never rock the boat if it’s not broken, pag maayos siya, go lang. Ba’t kailangan ipagsaksakan kung hindi naman magulo? Pinagugulo mo lang ang mundo.”
(Look at me, I am in a relationship for 40-plus years, but we do not go out of our way to say we need to get married, no more. We have a saying, you never, never rock the boat if it is not broken. If it is okay, then go on. Why must we insist on something when nothing is wrong anyway? We are just messing up the world.) Cody Cepeda/JB
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