‘Truth hurts’: Ricky Reyes reiterates stand on SOGIE bill

MANILA – Last week, he made the news for taking a stand against the SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression) bill.

• ‘Ang bakla ay bakla’: Gay icon Ricky Reyes shares views on SOGIE bill

And despite getting backlash from his fellow LGBTs, Ricky Reyes reiterated his opposition in another interview, saying that “truth hurts.”

“Iyong ibang nagbibigay ng negative reaction, it is as simple as truth hurts, you know,” the celebrity hairdresser said in an interview with the entertainment website Pep published Monday.

“Iyong katotohanan, kapag sinabi sa iyo, ang hirap tanggapin, di ba?” he added. “Pero ‘pag tanggap mo kung ano ikaw, kung ano ang pagkatao mo, everything is easy.”

Reyes, considered by many as a local gay icon, went on to respond to some of the criticisms hurled at him following his recent statements.

Among these is that he is an “internal homophobe” after he told gays to stop wearing dresses in the streets because people will make fun of them.

“I don’t have anything against LGBT. Bakla rin ako eh. Numero uno akong bakla. Nagbestida rin ako, no!” he admitted, as he showed Pep an old photo of him in a spaghetti-strap dress with a plunging neckline.

Reyes, however, said he stopped doing it because he wants to be “respected” for his achievements instead of being defined by his gender.

“‘Yun lang naman ang gusto ko sa mga kabadingan, ‘yung igalang kami ng tao. Ayokong maging public amusement ng mga tao. Ayoko nung pinagtatawanan kami ng mga tao. Ayokong magmukha kaming monkey in a cage… Gusto ko ng paggalang,” he said.

Reacting to those who remarked that people only respect him because he is wealthy, Reyes replied: “Yaman has nothing to do with that, you know. Siguro iginagalang ako ng mga tao because of what I’ve done in my life. ‘Yung napakaraming tulong na nagawa sa taon. Simula noong 1984 hanggang ngayon, ‘yung mga livelihood [na binigay ko sa mga tao].”

‘PART OF THE SOLUTION’

Reyes said he is willing to attend the Senate hearing on the SOGIE bill if he were invited, but the celebrity hairdresser said he sees the probe as a waste of government funds.

He stressed that the country does not need a law that caters specifically to the LGBT community, saying that other sectors such as out-of-school youth or young mothers deserve more attention.

• Is wider anti-discrimination law, with exceptions, better than SOGIE bill?

“Imbes na kami ang maging problema, sana ay maging parte kami ng solusyon, ng ikagaganda ng buhay ng maraming tao,” he explained. “Pati ba naman pag-ihi ng bakla dadalhin pa sa Senado, hello? Ang daming Pilipinong nagugutom. Maraming mga out-of-school youth. Maraming young mothers out there na walang pagkaing ibibigay sa kanilang anak. Nandiyan pa ang droga, ang korapsyon.”

“Siguro, ‘yun ang dapat nilang talakayin. Hindi ang pag-ihi ng bakla sa public toilet,” he continued.

“Diyos ko! It’s such a… napakaliit na bagay para paglaanan ng pondo ng mga senador. ‘Yung gagastusin diyan, gastusin na lang natin sa mga taong matutulungan natin.”