Pura Luka Vega. Image: Instagram/@puralukavega
Pura Luka Vega remained firm that drag is never a crime after their second arrest, saying it’s a testament to how the Lord is “always on their side, the oppressed and the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The drag queen, who goes by the pronouns they/them, told reporters on the sidelines of “Drag Den Philippines” season two’s viewing party that they’re “doing good” days after their arrest by the Manila Police District for their viral “Ama Namin” video.
“We were born resilient. We have probably gone through much worse. Para sa akin, laban lang. Tuloy lang (For me, keep fighting. Keep going),” they said. “I hope that people get to see what queer people see. Drag is never a crime. It’s just an expression and a beautiful art form.”
Pura was apprehended on Feb. 29 after a Quezon City court issued a warrant of arrest against them for three counts of violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code (Immoral Doctrines, obscene publications and exhibition, and indecent shows). They were previously arrested in October 2023.
Despite this, Pura said their faith in God “never wavered” while expressing their gratitude for helping them get through their second arrest.
“Apart from my family and my friends, hindi naman nag-waver ang paniniwala ko sa Divine Being. It’s weird but I think God has always been on our side, the side of the oppressed and the side of the LGBTQIA+ community and that’s what matters. Thank you, Lord,” they said.
WATCH: Embattled drag performer Pura Luka Vega said their faith in the Lord “never wavered” after their second arrest last February, as they also pointed out that drag is “never a crime.” @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/liqq7Zahjl
— Hannah Mallorca (@HMallorcaINQ) March 9, 2024
After their arrest
The embattled drag performer said they were able to “anticipate” the warrant in Pasay City which led to their camp paying bail. But they said they weren’t able to give bail yet, which led to their arrest issued by the Quezon City court.
“I didn’t know there was a warrant. But we followed naman, I have no intention of running from the police anyway. So okay, but I stand firm in my belief that I did nothing wrong. It’s purely an expression of my queerness and my faith. There’s nothing wrong with it,” they said.
Pura also noted that they “already paid bail” after their “three progressing cases,” saying they’re set to face another round of court hearings in the coming days.
“I believe that there’s a silver lining. I can just count my blessings and I’ll be fine. There are a lot of things to be grateful for. Infernes, may natutunan ako sa first one which I applied sa second one,” they said.
Pura Luka Vega. Image from Instagram
Litmus test
When asked for their thoughts about their test, Pura noted it is an “interesting” form of “litmus test” on whether the LGBTQIA+ community is “truly accepted.”
“In a sense, you get a litmus test of where we are in the discussion of acceptance or being included. Are we truly accepted,” said Pura. “We claim to be an LGBTQIA+-friendly country, yet we don’t know if we have the rights that we deserve. We’ve been deprived of a lot of things. You get to see where we are at exactly.”
The drag performer, however, didn’t waver in their belief that drag is a “beautiful” art form despite facing the cases laid out to them. “This has been a trying time for everyone.”
“Just as long as you know in your heart that you’re courageous and you’re living your life to the fullest. Don’t think about what other people prescribe you to be,” they continued. “Don’t let societal pressure [get to you] and just love exactly who you are. You are born that way.”