Arzen Rose Dulzura

Rikki Mae Davao recalls coming out to mom Jackie Lou Blanco in high school: ‘My mom started to cry’

Article (news)

Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

Although it’s been more than a decade since she decided to tell her parents she was a lesbian, actress Rikki Mae Davao said it was not as easy as people thought it would be for her, despite the support she has always gotten from her parents, the late Ricky Davao and actress Jackie Lou Blanco. Rikki shared that it was actually her girlfriend during that time that asked her to talk to her mom about coming out. In an exclusive interview with PUSH Bets Rikki explained the reason she didn’t feel the need to come out to her parents on her own during that time. “You don’t have to come out naman. It’s a choice. If you want to, you can. If you don’t then no need. For me personally, it happened in third year high school. Actually, may girlfriend ako nun. And unfortunately, yung mom niya, was unfortunately not okay with her being gay. To the point na gusto na siya ipadala sa kumbento. Ganun na. Nagulat ako na ganun. And then she (my girlfriend) asked me, ‘Can we tell your mom?’ Siguro she wanted support from an adult siguro. But my mom didn’t know yet. Hindi pa ako nag-a-out nun. So sabi ko sige, sige, sabihan natin. At that time, for me, I didn’t feel the need to come out. Kasi for me, my friends knew, I had a girlfriend, parang why should I tell my family pa?” she said. During their meet-up at the mall, Rikki admitted that telling her mom she was a lesbian was not as easy as she had first imagined. “So we met up in a donut shop. Nandun na si mama. Sabi ko, ‘Ma, I need to tell you something important.’ And then I realized I was having a hard time saying it. Na it took me 30 minutes, wala pa akong sinasabi. So nakakatawa na nandun lang kami 30 minutes nag-uusap. Hindi ko masabi. Sabi ko bakit ang hirap? Now when she talks about it, parang kinukutuban na niya na that’s what I wanted to tell her. So sabi niya, ‘Rikki Mae, do you want me to be the one to say it na lang?’ She asked me. Sabi ko, ‘No, mom. I need to say it.’ Hindi ko maintindihan why can’t I say it out loud kung hindi naman ako nahihiya? Sabi ko no, no, I need to be the one to say it. So after that, sabi ko, ‘Mom, actually, this is my girlfriend.’ Until now we laugh about it. So I said this is my girlfriend and she started to cry. My mom started to cry in Robinson’s Galleria Krispy Kreme. Outdoor area yun. Nung umiyak siya, nahawa yung girlfriend ko. Umiyak din. Nung umiyak yung girlfriend ko, umiyak din ako. So mukha kami dun mga crying ladies sa donut shop. So tawa ako ng tawa ngayon pag naaalala ko,” she recalled. During her PUSH Bets interview, Rikki clarified that even though her coming out story may seem easier than most people from her community, it took a long time to get to the level it is now. “I always tell people, kasi they always tell me, ‘Ang suwerte mo Rik, parang your parents are so supportive.’ Sabi ko it wasn’t always like that. It was very awkward at first and it was hard for us to talk about it. So yung ginawa ko lang, slowly lang. Slowly kong ini-insert na, ‘Dad, may date ako mamaya. Yun lang.’ Awkward pa kami eh. And then after that, yung next week, ‘Dad, kami na.’ (Then he’ll say), ‘Congrats, congrats.’ Kasi di ba people fear what they don’t know. So ako, I just slowly introduce things and then even topics, so I’m grateful din that they’re willing to talk about it. Pero minsan nagbabanggaan din kami ng beliefs,” she said. As one of four siblings, the Roja actress admitted her older brother and two younger sisters had mixed reactions to her coming out. “My sister, si Ara, she knew na. Kasi pag sinusundo kami sa school, late ako palagi tapos may kasama akong isang babae (laughs). Hindi na kailangan ng soiree, nandun na ako (laughs). And then my older brother, same. Medyo awkward din at first. And then my youngest sister, wala, normal lang. We’re okay,” she added. WATCH RIKI MAE’S FULL INTERVIEW ON PUSH BETS HERE:<script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=AB2WE5dnW_DR-G_K"></script>

Rikki Mae Davao shares the initial reaction of her celebrity parents Jackie Lou Blanco and the late Ricky Davao when she decided to come out as gay during her third year in high school.

Rikki Mae Davao shares the initial reaction of her celebrity parents Jackie Lou Blanco and the late Ricky Davao when she decided to come out as gay during her third year in high school.