MANILA — Kapamilya star Angel Locsin fired back at LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) bashers who left comments on her Instagram post.
Locsin posted a screenshot of Jesuit priest and author Fr. James Martin’s Facebook status after the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
A part of Fr. Martin’s status reads: “The Catholic church must do a much better job of teaching what the Catechism says: that we should treat our LGBT brothers and sisters with ‘respect, sensitivity and compassion.'”
He also noted that “God wants us to love. And not a twisted, crabbed, narrow tolerance, which often comes in the guise of condemnations, instructions and admonitions that try to masquerade as love, but actual love.”
Fr. Martin ended his statement by writing, “Love first. Everything else later. In fact, everything else is meaningless without love.”
Locsin used Fr. Martin’s words as the caption of her Instagram post, writing: “Respect, sensitivity and compassion.”
Locsin’s post quickly reached her 1.4 million followers on Instagram, some of which took to Instagram their disappointment over the actress’ choice to support gay marriage. Some even posted passages from the Bible about homosexuality.
“Kung magiging insensitive, rude, and self-righteous ho tayo, ‘wag na ho natin idamay ang Diyos. That’s very ungodly and a huge turn off. The statement says we should show respect, sensitivity, and compassion to one another at naniniwala ho akong yan ang gusto ng Diyos,” Locsin responded on Instagram.
(If we’re just going to be insensitive, rude, and self-righeous, let’s not bring God into this. That’s very ungodly and a huge turn off. The statement says we should show respect, sensitivity, and compassion to one another and I believe that’s what God wants us to do.)
Locsin also called her followers to look beyond sexual acts and think of equal rights for all couples — gay or straight.
“Personally, I’m not going to deny my LGBT friends the ‘protection’ that ‘straight’ people get kapag kasal. Think of insurances, healthcare, kahit bantay nga sa ICU, etc… Not just sexual acts,” she urged.
In closing, the 30-year-old actress said she’s the one who feels disrespected for her LGBT friends.
“Tama naman ho na may pinaniniwalaan kayo, pero careful lang sa kung paano sabihin. I have LGBT friends na sobrang bait, at ako ho ang nababastos para sa kanila. Wag ho tayong mag away-away.”
(It’s good to have convictions, but we should be careful with how we say it. I have LGBT friends who are extremely nice and I’m the one who feels disrespected on their behalf. Let’s stop fighting.)