MANILA, Philippines – Ai-Ai delas Alas revealed that she is against same-sex marriage during a press conference for her upcoming film, D’Ninang, on Friday, January 9 – and Filipinos online are not having it.
According to an Inquirer report, the actress-comedian shared that she was all for “same-sex love,” but not marriage between same sexes.
“OK lang sa akin ang magmahalan, same-sex. Pag-ibig ‘yon eh. Pero ‘di ba nasa Bibliya ‘yon, na ang babae para sa lalaki, ang lalaki para sa babae," she said.
(It's fine with me, loving someone of the same sex. That's love. But what's in the Bible is that a woman is for a man, and a man is for a woman.)
“Wala akong against sa pagmamahalan ng same-sex, oo naman siyempre, nadaanan ko lahat ‘yan,” she added. (I have nothing against loving the same sex, of course, I went through that too.)
Ai-Ai also revealed that she doesn't attend the weddings of her "several gay friends," even after agreeing to the invite.
“Umo-oo ako pero hindi ako uma-attend. Di ako naniniwala diyan, pero mahal ko kayo kaya eto ang pakimkim, ito ang chorva," she said. (I say yes but I don't attend. I don't believe in it, but I love you, so I have a gift for you.)
Celebrity fashion photographer BJ Pascual didn't hesitate to air his side, taking to Twitter to shade Ai-Ai for her comments.
"Wait nga, naka ilang asawa ka na ulit? Diba ayaw din ni God yon? BYE," he wrote. (Wait a minute, how many husbands have you had again? Doesn't God disapprove of that? Bye.)
Wait nga, naka ilang asawa ka na ulit? Diba ayaw din ni God yon? BYE https://t.co/QYwsWs119g via @inquirerdotnet
BJ linked his followers to a Tweet screenshot of actor-writer Juan Miguel Severo's own piece on the issue, who said that "celebrities really need to know the difference between marriage the sacrament, and marriage the civil right."
FOR EVERYONE'S REFERENCE. C/O @TheRainBropic.twitter.com/efpkr1tj47
— BJ Pascual (@bjpascual) January 9, 2020
“We are not after the church’s blessings (I’m sure that’d be cool for a lot of our Christian friends though) we just need the state to recognize our equal rights," Severo added.
BJ followed with another photo, quoting writer Shakira Sison.
"'I like tea better than coffee' is an opinion. 'Gays shouldn’t have what I have' is oppression. Know the difference," the quote said.
Other Filipinos online shared their personal takes on Ai-Ai's "homophobic" comments, which to some users, is ironic, considering her "whole career was built by gays," and that "many of her fans are part of the LGBTQ+ community."
Imagine your whole career built by gays and and you go around talking shit like this. Yikes. ANG TANGING TANGA. pic.twitter.com/ZVH31GX0xI
— Matt Yu (@yomattyu) January 9, 2020
Ai Ai Delas Alas is an ungrateful, self righteous has-been. A thread. pic.twitter.com/opaKxrS93Q
— paulo castro (@pawawawofficial) January 9, 2020
A user also called her out for her usage of verses from the Bible, which also forbids divorce. (READ: Ai-Ai delas Alas' US divorce recognized, can marry again)
Alam mo, Ai Ai, hindi ikaw yung kinakasal dun. So stop making it about you.
Also, you keep quoting the Bible yet forget what Jesus Himself had to say about divorce (Mar 10:11-12). Or who should not teach and just stay quiet (1 Tim 2:12).https://t.co/TNzW3HCWVF
Ai-Ai is currently married to Gerald Sibayan, whom she shares a 30-year-gap with. They wed in December 2017. Her marriage to Sibayan is her 3rd.
She was previously married to actor Miguel Vera, as well as Jed Salang, who she was only married to for a month before separating with claims of him physically abusing her. Her divorce from Salang was recognized by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in 2016, allowing her to remarry. – Rappler.com