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‘Bakla’ should not be used as an insult, Ben&Ben's Paolo Guico says after selfie in a dress

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Singer-songwriter Paolo Guico of Ben&amp;Ben called on his fellow Filipinos to “grow up” on the topic of gender identity and expression, as he answered on Wednesday comments on his selfie wearing a dress.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">be comfy in ur own skin <a href="https://t.co/jh52r8OcY7">pic.twitter.com/jh52r8OcY7</a></p>— Paolo Benjamin (@PaoloBenjamin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaoloBenjamin_/status/1358688225888407553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Guico had posted the selfies of him on Monday, showing him in the dress, and then in a casual shirt-and-pants outfit. In the caption, he wrote, “Be comfy in your own skin.”</p><p>Two days later, Guico took to Twitter to share his stand on gender expression, lamenting the outdated perception of many Filipinos on the matter.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">never assume anyone&#x27;s gender based on the clothes they wear. hay pilipinas, ang layo pa natin *sigh*</p>— Paolo Benjamin (@PaoloBenjamin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaoloBenjamin_/status/1359312136468455424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“Never assume anyone&#x27;s gender based on the clothes they wear. Hay Pilipinas, ang layo pa natin,” he wrote. “Higit pa rito, mali ang mag-assume na ang isang bagay o gawain ay panlalaki o pambabae lamang.”</p><p>“Kids, be free to be yourselves. Don&#x27;t let anyone bring you down.”</p><p>He then urged his followers to stop using “bakla” as a derogatory term, as he committed to stand with the queer community in fighting for their rights and freedom.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">panghuli, sana&#x27;y makamove-on na tayo bilang bansa sa paggamit ng &quot;bakla&quot; bilang insulto. as a heterosexual male, i may not be in the place to speak for them but, i will fiercely fight for our LGBT friends and listeners. you are valid, accepted and loved. Pilipinas, let&#x27;s grow up!</p>— Paolo Benjamin (@PaoloBenjamin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaoloBenjamin_/status/1359317645598752770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“Sana’y makamove-on na tayo bilang bansa sa paggamit ng ‘bakla’ bilang insulto. As a heterosexual male, I may not be in the place to speak for them but, I will fiercely fight for our LGBT friends and listeners,” he said.</p><p>“You are valid, accepted and loved. Pilipinas, let&#x27;s grow up!”</p><p>Guico, as well as his fellow Ben&amp;Ben members, have expressed both in their music and statements their support for the queer community.</p><p>Their music videos for “Maybe the Night” in 2018 and “Fall” in 2019, for instance, both featured a lesbian couple, alongside other portrayals of romantic love.</p><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l-GTIe88O7E?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>