Kim Atienza and Pura Luka Vega. Image: Instagram/@kuyakim_atienza, @oficiallylukaluka
After several local government units declared Pura Luka Vega persona non grata, TV host Kim Atienza wished the drag artist well, but hoped that they would realize how “deeply offensive” their “Ama Namin” drag performance is.
Pura Luka, whose real name is Amadeus Fernando Pagente and who uses the pronoun they or them, earlier lamented how they have already been “judged” and been declared persona non grata by cities without apparently having a dialogue with them.
INQUIRER.net shared a screenshot of Pura Luka’s statement through a Facebook post, wherein Atienza addressed the drag artist in the comments section.
“Hi Luka. We haven’t met yet but I wish you well. I sincerely hope you develop the empathy to know how deeply offensive your ‘art’ is to majority of Filipinos,” Atienza said.
“This has nothing to do with drag or gender but how you disrespected Jesus and His prayer we so revere,” he added.
Atienza shared a screenshot of his comment as well through his Facebook page and captioned the post: “As Christians, we are to hate the sin but love the sinner. We are all sinners and fall short of His glory.”
Pura Luka came under fire after their allegedly blasphemous portrayal of Jesus Christ the Nazarene in several videos that went viral on social media. They were then declared persona non grata by the local government units of Manila City, Bukidnon, General Santos City in South Cotabato, and the municipalities of Floridablanca in Pampanga and Toboso in Negros Occidental.
Despite this, Pura Luka has since maintained that they will not apologize for their actions as these were just part of their performance, which they said is an expression of art. /ra