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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Miriam As Homophobia Indicator

Question to everyone who criticized 1999 Miss Universe 1st Runner-Up Miriam Quiambao for her homophobic stance:

Were we not seeing the big picture when we came down on her for making her unfriendly-to-LGBT remarks?

(Courtesy of juicyexpress.com)

I am led to ask this because now that she has apologized for the comments (in her way) over Twitter, there seems to be a backlash against the group Ladlad, spilling over to the entire LGBT community, that is "demanding" that she give a more forceful and demonstrative apology in relation to her recent tweets.

From where I sit, and see, people have come out in droves defending Miriam, calling her "principled", "righteous" and "morally correct".

And the big picture is, we are a homophobic country.

How can anyone think otherwise, seeing all these comments online?

"GAYS NOWADAYS ARE THE SUCCESSORS OF THE GAYS THAT SURVIVED SODOM AND GOMORRAH. GOD ANNIHILATED THAT TOWN, ACCORDING TO BIBLE. GOD MISSED SOME OF THEM SO NOW THEIR SUCCESSORS ARE ALL OVER THE GLOBE AND UNSTOPPABLE! THESE GAYS ARE SINNERS, AND SINNERS MUST BE PUNISHED! DEATH TO ALL SINNERS! DEATH TO ALL GAYS!!!!! WHO IS WITH ME? COME ON! I KNOW SOMEONE HERE WANTS ALL GAYS DEAD!!!"

"Dapat kasi sa Planet Mercury nalang manirahan ang LGBT ng sila ay masunog na.haha! Peace" (The LGBT should live in Planet Mercury so they can be incinerated.haha! Peace)

"Sakit sa pag-iisip ang homosexuality!!!" (Homosexuality is a mental illness!!!)

"KILLING A GAY IS NOT JUST JUSTICE. IT IS CONTINUING THE CRUSADE OF GOD TO PURIFY THIS LAND FROM GAYS AS HE DID IN SODOM AND GOMORRAH."

"Is it not too harsh to ask her to make a public apology?"

"Whoever on this thread chooses to side with the LGBT is either gay or a retard..=))"

"apology for what? For saying the Truth funny"

"SALOT ANG MGA GAY PARA SILANG GREMLINS KAPAG NABABASA DUMADAMI" (Gays are a curse, like Gremlins that multiply when rained upon)

"I PREFER A NEW PLANET FOR GAYS ONLY! IT SHOULD BE MERCURY OR VENUS! SO THEY WOULD NOT SURVIVE EITHER WAY!"

This is just a sampling of homophobic comments, some advocating for the outright murder of the LGBT in the name of religion, in a single thread of a major network's news item about Miriam's "apology".

(http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/video/118413/mga-kontrobersyal-na-tweet-ni-miriam-quiambao-binatikos-ng-mga-lgbt)

In truth, these comments make what Miriam said seem benign and saccharine - she really was sugarcoating how some people really feel about the LGBT community, and what "actions" they have in mind to eradicate the, uhm, problem.

This country recently was adjudged to be the most religious/spiritual, where over 90% believe in the concept of God.

If God is in the details, then I do not like what I see.

13 comments:

  1. I don't agree with Miriam but I didn't really mind her expressing her beliefs. I think she was not crass in expressing her views, no matter how different those views were from my own. However, I was really shocked when I viewed some of the comments online (like the ones you posted above). They were horrible! All along I thought gays were free and accepted here. Then I realize just how many small-minded people there are in this country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Unsugarcoated Reviews,
      It's sad when we realize all this "we accept you" speech we hear from people turns out to be lip service. The moment the sh*t hits the fan, lumalabas ang tunay na kulay.

      Delete
  2. ... pa back track naman.. ano LGBT? ano sinabi ni miriam?
    ... sa mga comments... mmm, values education everyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Gemma,
      Please view my earlier post FYI, Miriam. It has a little background of this current brouhaha. LGBT means Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered. It is a collective term for sexual minorities. I understand, whether the basis is religion, or personal biases, or "dahil nakakadiri" that people do not like homosexuals. They are entitled to their feelings. But it doesn't give them the right to deny rights accorded to every human being, and it most certainly does not give them the right to kill them in the name of God. Looking at the comments (I took these from a GMA website in Facebook) maraming may galit sa LGBT.

      Delete
  3. The comments on various websites are disturbing. And these are coming from people who call themselves religious?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Anonymous,
      Same thoughts here. They're disturbing, considering the source they purportedly claim themselves to be.

      Delete
  4. I'm gay but i think LGBT is over reacting. They have to be a little open minded about people's statements.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Anonymous,
      I agree that the LGBT has to be open minded in receiving statements from people that are based on fear, superstition, what religion and culture has taught them. We are always portrayed and perceived as "evil" "mentally ill" etc. so when people speak hurtful words, I try to remember that they are the products of cultural upbringing, all of which transmits the message that "gay is bad". I have to draw the line, however, when people start advocating killing LGBTs in the name of their God. To those who feel the LGBT community are freaks: you are free to dislike us, but not to strip us of our rights. Especially the right to live.

      Delete
  5. Hi, georrush,
    I couldn't agree more that we need to educate them. Education has always been the key to facing unfounded biases and ignorance. And that is what most people are concerning LGBT and the community's concerns: ignorant, because of what they have been taught and told. But once they know and know LGBTs well, those biases tend to fall by the wayside, replaced by actual knowledge, based on getting to know actual people. (Also a reason why I support people coming out of the closet, but only if voluntarily done.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Taking from Mirriam's comment that Gays and Lesbians are "Lie from Evil" (still dont know what it means anyway), what about those couple who got married and they are not supposed to be separated. I think thats part of Mirriam's religious practice aswell right? .. by the way, didnt she get separated from her husband?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Anonymous,
      As I understand it, she was divorced from her husband. And the reasons, from what she said,are flimsy at best, something about not having the same schedule or time together, and they had a whirlwind courtship and they never knew each other well before they got married, etc etc. So yes, she violated her own religion's "commandments". But of course, she feels she still has the right to tell other people (ehem) what to do and what they really are. Excuse me if I'm not holding my breath for more "pearls of wisdom" from her.

      Delete
  7. Here's the thing, if you are going to profess to upholding the Word of God, you have to take the Bible as a whole and not take pieces it which does not apply to you as the "messenger". As example, the Bible says that women should dress modestly. In my eyes, Ms. Quiambao breaks this biblical rule/command everyday. Also, the Bible has incest. Does this mean Ms. Quiambao supports INCEST? If so, eeeewww!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The problem with over religious people is they are so quick to judge others when in truth is all of us are equally as sinful. Miriam is an over zealous new christian and is definitely homophobic and not christ-like.

    ReplyDelete