Bakla! Bakla! Bakla!
Ang Ladlad, the gay-lesbian-transgender-bisexual political party, has finally been allowed to participate in the May 10 elections for party list representation. The Supreme Court had to bitch-slap the Commission on Elections for this to happen. My girlfriend Danton Remoto of Ang Ladlad has agreed to a Q&A with our readers. Post your questions in Comments, and I’ll send them to the bakla for his answers.
I’ll start.
1. Darling, why do we need a gay party list? Aren’t gay people already in power? One might argue that people aren’t oppressed for being gay, they’re oppressed for being poor.
2. Why should we vote for Ang Ladlad when you’re not their nominee? Explain again why you’re no longer eligible to sit as congressgay? (Why did you run as an independent? Gaga.)
3. Do you think closeted gays and eskaparate queens (gays living in glass closets) should be outed? They have no right to privacy?
* * * * *
Monday, 19 April, 1806. Danton’s answers to your questions will appear tomorrow morning. Thanks, Danton, for taking time out from your killer schedule to do this.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
April 16th, 2010 at 01:51
…and let’s never forget the brilliant Carlo argument in favor of re-repressing homos because, as he puts it: “If gays are no longer persecuted and ostracized, then aren’t we ushering in the era of mediocre homosexuals who are no longer pressured to excel and stand out as a way of overcompensating for how society looks down on them.” Mustn’t we all join Carlo’s chant to “Persecute the homos! Pahirapan ang mga bading upang muli silang magmagaling!”
April 16th, 2010 at 07:11
Danton, ako, ang aking misis at ang aming anak ay boboto ng Ang Ladlad para sa party list. Pero, wala ‘ata kaming naririnig na suporta mula sa mga sikat na tulad nina Kuya Germs, Boy Abunda, Ricky Reyes, Pitoy, Aiza, Lady Valerie atbp? Sana makuha ang kanilang endorsement para sigurado ang panalo.
April 16th, 2010 at 09:34
I had thought Danton Remoto was Ladlad’s nominee. Tell us about Benedito Leonin Lopera.
April 16th, 2010 at 10:14
Danton, if you are not the one running, what will be your role in Ang Ladlad when it wins in Congress? Will you have significant influence in the decision-making process of Benedito, Leonin, and Lopera?
April 16th, 2010 at 10:49
Are you going to push for your pork barrel funds? If yes, how would you use them?
April 16th, 2010 at 14:59
@asoroleon: the age of the mediocre homosexual is here. They’re all hanging out in Starbucks after their call center shifts and before they hit Fitness First. You can see them wearing Bench Fix haircuts and the latest cuts of Folded and Hung singlets. You can’t avoid hearing their loud American accents.
I have a fabulous friend who had an argument with taxi driver once. The driver was refusing to give him his change, implying that he deserves a tip. My friend isn’t going to have it. When he was out of the cab, the driver yelled “BAKLA!” He yelled back, “Mahirap!”
April 16th, 2010 at 15:09
This happened to our friend! He was driving his SUV and the window was open because he was smoking. At the stoplight he was checking his hair in the rearview mirror when some guy in a jeepney yelled “Bakla!” Then the light turned green and the jeep sped off. Our friend gave chase and caught the jeep at the next stoplight. Our friend yelled, “Mahirap! Nakasakay sa dyip! Dukha! Pagdating mo sa office, puro oil na ang mukha mo!”
April 16th, 2010 at 17:25
1. Do you think that lesbians and closeted gays (the ones who call themselves ‘bi’ or ‘straight’) should be portrayed on TV as well instead of just the one-dimensional, feminine ‘patawas?’
1a. Do you think that lesbians and closeted gays (the ones who call themselves ‘bi’ or ‘straight’) are active members of the gay community?
1b. Do you think there’s a correlation between the two?
1c. If you think they’re inactive members of the community; how do you propose to make them more ‘active?’
2. Why do you think closeted gays call themselves ‘bisexual’ or ‘straight’ even if they don’t fit the dictionary definitions of those words?
3. Why do you think gays are so terrified to know their HIV status?
4. What positive contributions can gays offer their community? (not the ‘gay’ community, but the local community in general)
4a. Do you think the gay community SHOULD offer positive contributions to the community in general or should they only focus on themselves?
April 17th, 2010 at 15:02
And I quote
“the age of the mediocre homosexual is here. They’re all hanging out in Starbucks after their call center shifts and before they hit Fitness First. You can see them wearing Bench Fix haircuts and the latest cuts of Folded and Hung singlets. You can’t avoid hearing their loud American accents.”
–You can’t be any more spot on than that @ wltrrbls. Really, these homos are giving the rest of us fags-to-the-core a bad name. Seriously. I do technical support as some kinky night job, but I don’t do none of these social climbing shit.
April 17th, 2010 at 15:19
hello longhair lukas
something about your line of questioning (particularly number 4 and 4a) was a bit off to me.. you could very well ask those questions to the straight community.. by the way.. is there such a thing as a straight community?
to danton:
tell us about the priority bills that ang ladlad would file in congress for its first 100 days…
April 17th, 2010 at 19:09
I am not Mr. Remoto, but somebody struck a nerve. And he has this faint whiff of homophobia. I mean …
1a. Haven’t we been seeing “closeted gays” on TV? How else would Eric Santos portray himself? Eric Quizon? Ryan Seacrest?
1b. I don’t get this.
1c. If they’re not active members of the gay community, shall we, then, call them inactive members of the gay community instead? Dormant, perhaps? And why would anyone want to make them active if they’re perfectly happy as is?
2. And what are you calling yourself these days?
3. I think straights are just as equally terrified.
4. It just doesn’t get any better than making things beautiful and making people laugh. At the same time. Think of all that endorphin!
4a. Just focus on ourselves.
April 17th, 2010 at 23:01
How can you convince voters that are entrenched in religious dogma?
Given the “late” decision of the Supreme Court, have you any problems “catching up” with the campaign period?
What has been the reception of Ang Ladlad from the people that you met during your campaign?
What are the chances of Ang Ladlad winning this election?
If there’s a victory, what will you do on the first year in office?
Andaming serious questions naman! If you will win, what will you wear for the SONA?
April 18th, 2010 at 04:52
Momelia:
1. My wording was a bit off, I apologize.
“Do you think there should be MORE masculine, non-stereotypical gays on TV, instead of the usual ‘ugly-but-funny-parlorista’ types?”
“Do you think that ‘inactive’ members of the gay community are perfectly happy as they are?”
“Do you think they should be more ‘active’ in the gay community?”
2. Gay.
3. I think straights are equally as terrified.
…that doesn’t answer the question
…we’re talking about gays, not straights
…the question stands
4. “Is that all we are; people who prettify things and make people laugh? ”
Lavalounge:
The straight community doesn’t really demand respect and equal rights, so let’s not dodge the question.
4a. “Do you think we’ll garner more of the respect we demand of people if we offer more positive things that serve the community?”
=============================
5. I’ve come across quite a few ‘foreigners’ who think a lot Filipino gays are clingy, needy, desperate, and all too quick to say ‘I love you’ even after only 30 minutes of meeting (sometimes as long as an hour).
Do you think this is true? Why?
Would the gays agree with you on whether or not it’s true? Why?
April 18th, 2010 at 05:32
Allow me to rephrase the questions then:
1. Do you think there should be MORE lesbians and masculine-gays on TV instead of the stereotypical ugly-but-funny parlorista types?
1a. What kind of gays are the active members of the gay community?
1b. Do you think there’s a correlation/causation between the active members of the gay community and the gays portrayed on TV?
1c.
2. I call myself gay, but let’s go back to the original question that was never answered:
Why do you think closeted gays call themselves ‘bisexual’ or ’straight’ even if they don’t fit the dictionary definitions of those words?
3. Let’s not dodge the question by applying it to straight people.
Why do you think gays are so terrified of knowing their HIV status?
==The straight ‘community’ doesn’t demand respect and equal rights, so the question does not apply to them.==
4. Aside from prettifying things and making people laugh by self-defecating comments towards ourselves, what more can we offer the community in general?
4a. Do you think we’ll get a better chance of earning the respect we demand of people if we offered more positive things to the community in general?