Social media personality Sassa Gurl has an important reminder to her online ‘nakshies’ in commenting on hot issues.
In an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR, Sassa Gurl criticized netizens, particularly those within the LGBTQIA+ community, for making transphobic remarks against former TV personality Jude Bacalso.
The influencer-turned-actress stressed that the viral post about Bacalso’s interaction with a waiter in Cebu does not justify derogatory comments. She highlighted the importance of hearing both sides of the story in such situations.
“Whenever someone is being accused of something, you have to always get his or her side… Hindi ibig sabihin na may masamang ginawang masama ‘yung trans, whatever. Sabihin natin may napatunayan siyang masamang ginawa, wala kayong free pass para mang-dead name, mang-misgender,” she said during The Philippine STAR’s Truth Festival last Sunday, July 28, 2024.
“Let’s not cultivate a society na kina-cancel ang mga taong nagkakaroon or gumagawa ng mga maling bagay. Let’s encourage to enlighten rather than cancelling people. Tapos makikita ko ‘yung mga bakla pa ‘yung mga nangununa mangbunot, teka lang community natin ‘yan ah. ‘Wag niyo ida-down… Also, educate everyone,” she added.
Sassa Gurl recognizes the hardships that members of the LGBTQIA+ had to face daily, that’s why she encourages fellow members to “stick” together and work as one for their rights.
“Mahirap kasi talaga ipaglaban ‘yung sarili mo lalong-lalo na kung trans ka. Kasi for the mere fact na wala ka pang sinasabi huhusgahan ka na nila, just for the fact na bakla ka o trans ka. ‘Yun ‘yung mahirap ‘dun. Kaya dapat as a community, we stick together at ipaglaban natin ‘yung isa’t isa,” she noted.
It can be recalled that Bacalso went viral on social media after she was accused of berating and making a waiter stand for two hours for misgendering her and addressing her as “sir.”
A few days later, Bacalso released a public apology and acknowledged her mistakes and expressed hope for a collective journey toward healing and understanding.
“My apologies also to the rest of the staff who are disheartened by the way things have escalated, as well as to the customers present at that time. This is a huge chunk of humble pie that I must ingest, because I have erred,” she said.
“May we start here with, as the supervisor pointed out, an uphill path to reconciliation and we hope you will be able to allow us and yourselves to do so unhampered so we may all learn and heal from this,” she concluded.
