MAINIT na pinag-uusapan ngayon sa online world ang naging performance ng “Drag Den Philippines” contestant na si Pura Luka Vega kung saan makikitang kinakanta at sinasayaw nito ang remix version ng kantang “Ama Namin”.
Nitong Lunes, July 10, in-upload ng drag queen ang video ng kanyang drag performance sa Twitter na kuha sa isang bar habang nakasuot at nakaayos ito na tila si Hesus at ang caption nito ay “Thank you for coming to church!”
Agad namang nag-trending ang naturang performance ni Luka dahil sa samu’t saring reaksyon mula sa mga netizens lalo na mula sa mga Katoliko at mga miyembro ng LGBTQIA+ community.
READ: Msgr. Go, canon lawyer, on ‘Ama Namin’ video: I am offended by the disrespect
Marami ang hindi nagustuhan ang tila “pambabastos” ng drag queen sa isang kantang itinuturing na sagrado at mahalaga para sa mga Katoliko lalo na’t ito’y isang klase ng worship song.
Kaya naman hindi na rin kataka-taka ang backlash na naranasan ni Luka dahil karamihan sa mga devout Catholics na nasa Twitter ay na-offend at itinuturing na “mockery” at “blasphemous” ang ginawa nito.
Very disrespectful
“If you find it offensive when a straight man dresses and acts like a queer, why do you condemn the faithful who felt offended by this video because it mocks their God? Even if I love drag, I myself cannot finish watching this video because I find it blasphemous,” saad ng isang netizen.
Dagdag pa ng isa, “While it is true that drag is a form of expression, it’s art, it’s political & a good source of entertainment, this one is a big NO for me. As a devout Catholic, I find this very disrespectful.”
Samantala, marami rin naman ang nagtanggol kay Luka at sinabing ang naturang drag performance niya ay isang expression of art. Bukod pa rito, marahil ay ‘offensive’ para sa iba ang nangyari dahil hindi cisgender o heterosexual ang gumana nito.
“art is meant to comfort the disturb and disturb the comfortable. check ur privilege po, dami dami issues on hate crimes targeted towards the member of the community, ngayon kayo iiyak, pls pls pls kaya Im really faith>religion,” saad ng isang Twitter user.
“Drag is art. Art is expression. This is freedom of expression. Uncomfortable? Good. That’s what art is supposed to do. Make people uncomfortable,” depensa naman ng isa kay Luka.
Sey naman ng isa, “I wonder if the mélange of negative comments will still be the same if the one who performed Jesus is a cis man & the performance happened in an art theater & not in a dingy room, still w a punk rock “Ama Namin” music. You call it blasphemous? I call it homophobia.”
‘I will not apologize’
Samantala, naglabas naman ng pahayag si Luka ukol sa isyu sa pamamagitan ng Twitter Spaces na may pamagat na “Breaking my silence”.
Nagpasalamat ang drag queen sa lahat ng mga taong nakaintindi sa kanyang performance at sa mga willing na pakinggan ang kanyang eksplanasyon ukol sa isa sa mga maiinit na usapin ngayon.
“Queerness has always been there naman. I feel like it’s my way of actually praising God,” pagbabahagi ni Luka.
“Feeling ko I was very careful when I did that ’cause I don’t want it to come across as something that’s very offensive but then again it’s still taken that’s something very offensive.”
Sinabi rin ni Luka na hindi niya intensyon na i-demean ang relihiyon lalo na’t isa rin siyang Katoliko. “I did that intentionally to challenge our notions of how we worship or how we sing our praise,” lahad niya.
Bagamat naiintindihan ni Luka ang mga taong nagsasabi na “too much” ang kanyang ginawa, ay nanindigan pa rin siyang hindi hihingi ng tawad sa mga ito.
“I get it when people think that I’m too much but I will not apologize. I’m sorry, it is something I truly [and] firmly believe in. I don’t think that my artistry needs to have an explanation just to cater whatever request people may have but I do listen,” pagpapaliwanag niya.
Giit pa ni Luka, “I’d like to stress that my drag performance as Jesus was not meant to disrespect anyone. On the contrary, it is a drag art interpretation of worship. I was very intentional of using a specific song and the symbolism to relate the queer crowd with the intersection of queerness and religion.”
