Kadlit Kolum: Koleksiyon ng mga Kolum

On Charice's Fall from Starlight

The first decade of the 2000s can be likened to an anthology of televised singing contests where names like Eric Santos, Rachel Ann Go and Sarah Geronimo became household names.

We Filipinos have a taste for singers with powerful voices; in our own terms, we root for the "biriteros" and "biriteras" of the singing world.

Perhaps one of the most iconic examples of this type of singer is Charice Pempengco, who once dominated the international music scene with her unforgettable collaboration with Iyaz, David Foster and even appearing in Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey's shows.

Filipinos have a penchant for rooting for their countrymen, especially when the international media is involved. We are quick to say "I'm proud to be a Filipino!" when we hear news about Filipinos rising above the mundanity of life (discounting random Guiness records, of course).

Initially, I thought that Charice was on her way to becoming an icon, and that her stay in the limelight will not be as fleeting compared to the others who came before her. But alas, as prophetic powers go, I am no Oracle of Delphi.

When Charice came out as a lesbian in 2013, many Filipinos were quick to denounce her as "demonic," "unnatural," and what not. The verbiage that came from Charice's newfound haters can probably make potty mouth Gordon Ramsay blanch. Some even took the barrage of insults one step further by asking her to pray, for "she has lost the path to God."

Charice, once touted as a beloved idol of the masses, known for her remarkable voice and humble beginnings, singlehandedly ended her popularity just because she wanted to be free.

Then the final straw was cut: Charice was erased from existence, and a man known as "Jake Zyrus" came to be.

There could be two reasons why Jake lost his edge for the masses:

1.) His revelation as part of the LGBTQ community and 2.) His musicality shift.

These two reasons are correlated with one another; the second being an aftermath of the first. It is a well-known fact that despite the claims of most Filipinos that their view towards the LGBTQ has been liberal and tolerant, the backlash that occurred during Charice's coming out told us otherwise.

I felt like my intelligence quotient was dramatically reduced when I visited the comments section of several online posts containing information about Zyrus' revelation.

You can truly feel the hate, ignorance, sheer arrogance, and religious pretenses of these people; the same people who probably listened and complimented Charice when she was still the lovable lady figure they had grown accustomed to.

Hypocritical, it was.

We cannot place the blame on the Filipinos completely, however. It is hard to reform a belief that had become firmly rooted in our system. We have become consumed by homophobia because of religion. Religion has instilled hate against those who are different or deemed peculiar. I am also no stranger to people with "holier than thou" attitudes.

They have become rampant in Philippine society, like cancer.

We are no strangers to this underlying issue affecting Charice; the "death" of Rustom Padilla and his subsequent rebirth as Bb. Gandanghari brought out the same ugly hydra heads. Robin even declared that Rustom is dead to him. History indeed repeats itself.

Zyrus's transformation to a transgender person changed his voice. From a power voice, his voice mellowed to something more suitable for R&B, which is something that is only lukewarmly received by Filipino music fans. We can assume that the deepening of Zyrus' voice is the natural result of getting regular testosterone injections, which are necessary for people who wish to become trans males. Zyrus's voice is now closer to Justin Bieber's adolescent voice, perhaps only a note lower, which to me is just fine.

Sadly, "diva worship" remains firmly entrenched in the OPM industry, and we continue to adore singers who can equal Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. These two are examples of what we consider staples of videoke song lists and amateur singing contests during town fiestas. Even our soap operas have theme songs that are performed by "biriteros" and "biriteras."

Seriously, why would you turn a good R&B Southborder song into a power ballad?

The story of Jake Zyrus is an example of how Filipino society views the LGBTQ community: with hypocritical sainthood brought by ignorance and toxic macho culture.

Fortunately, there are a few who now think differently, and progressively. One day, I believe that Filipinos will possess a more open mind that is not burdened by homophobia. But I am afraid that it may take too long.

I'll just force myself to be an optimist, then.

|| This column is for the segment "INTO THE PENGUIN'S SPECTACLE" by Carlou Espedillon - a columnist of the Katipunan ng Alternatibong Dibuho, Liriko, at Titik.