A Pinoy fitness coach found himself in hot water after making a “homophobic” caption on his workout video.
Gym coach Edison Vargas uploaded a clip of himself while lifting weights in the gym.
However, it wasn’t his workout routine that courted controversy but rather the caption he chose to accompany the video.
Vargas wrote, “Bakla ako ‘pag hindi ko nabuhat ‘to,” which did not sit well with online users and members of the LGBTQ community.
Hawaii-based social media sensation Bretman Rock was quick to respond to the video, commenting on Vargas’s lifting form: “Lmfao, girl, at least put your elbows closer together.”
He even added, “All that for such a lightweight sis.”
The exchange drew significant attention online, with users condemning Vargas’ use of the term “gay” as a negative qualifier for his lifting abilities.
In response to the growing controversy, the gym trainer later released a now-deleted video statement on Wednesday, April 24, explaining that he didn’t intend to offend anyone with his caption, as reported by GMA News.
He also claimed that he merely borrowed the phrase from other TikTok creators and didn’t foresee the negative repercussions.
“Pinag-isipan ko naman po muna bago ipost ‘yung video. Ilan lang ang original content ko kaya may pinag-gayan lang ako dito,” Vargas wrote in his statement.
“Wala din naman ako nakitang dahilan para hindi ipost kasi wala naman negative comments doon sa mga pinag gayahan ko,” he reasoned.
On the other hand, netizens lauded Bretman’s refusal to tolerate such behavior with his straightforward and unapologetic humor, even bringing up a 2022 video of the beauty guru lifting much heavier weights while wearing a skirt.
