Rica Peralejo slammed an online critic who questioned why she’s supporting a page that promotes LGBTQ+ content and asked whether she acknowledges the existence of other gender identities.
The issue started when the retired actress commented several laughing face emojis on an Instagram post by 90s Kabaklaan, which published an old magazine cover featuring her along with Anne Curtis, Aiza Marquez, Matet De Leon, and Vanna Garcia to promote their program Hati-Hating Kapatid.
As 90s Kabaklaan is a page that frequently posts content catering towards the queer community, a social media user criticized Peralejo for supporting it.
“Sorry, Ms. Rica, pero ‘di ba asawa kayo ng pastor? Bakit niyo sinusupport ang ganitong page about kabaklaan? So pati mga third gender, allowed na rin mag-exist? Sorry pero nakakaturn-off lang, Ms. Rica,” the user wrote, referring to the third gender or people who choose not to be identified as either male or female, but as neither, both, or a combination of the two.
Giving her response, Peralejo said that she was also turned off from the user’s negative remark as she defended the page.
“Bakit naman hindi sila pwede mag-exist eh nakakatawa nga mga post nila at nakakatuwa na balikan ang mga nakaraan?” she wrote. “If about the third gender, grabe ka naman. Kailangan mamatay basta hindi pumasok na two genders mo, ganun ba?”
Things didn’t stop there as the critic said they respect her opinion but reminded her about the teachings of the Bible.
Peralejo countered by stressing that the Bible also calls for people to love and respect each other.
“No one is forcing you to believe what should or should be not, but canceling? It’s not one of the Lord’s traits. Only humans do this, unfortunately,” she wrote.
Peralejo later took to her Instagram stories to further expound her thoughts on the existence of other gender identities.
“Nashock lang talaga ako sa use of word niya na ‘exist.’ You basically just implied their eradication if they should not change. It’s so far from how God is,” she wrote. “This is such a burden for me ’cause I know for myself that God is not like that. And my heart breaks everytime someone is cancelled just because they don’t fit the mold of the faith.”
Noting how many religious people are “so busy trying to point out what is sin and what is not,” Peralejo urged others to refrain from condemning people because of their gender.
“It’s turning us into something other than Christians. It’s just making us into Pharisees. Or police. It’s sad. And it’s so stressful cause everyday, all you see is wrong this, wrong that,” she wrote.
“Sa mga kapwa kong believers, sana magising na tayo. Once akong naging ganyan. Feeling ko matter of right or wrong ang faith to the point na nakakalimutan ko it’s a matter of Jesus and Jesus alone,” she added.
The former television host’s support for the queer community has since earned praises online. One user said, “Naiiyak na lang ako sa IG stories ni Rica. Grabe yung wisdom niya, sana ganito lahat ng tao mag-isip regardless of your religion.”
This comes a few months after Peralejo became the subject of bashing among fellow Christians for celebrating Halloween, which is believed to be evil by some people as it lets spirits of the dead, witches, goblins, fairies, and demons to roam the dwelling place of humans, according to Christianity.com.
“As expected, some are horrified by our wearing of costumes and trick or treating. I had made no disclaimer simply because they won’t listen. They are not asking for explanations, they only want to say their piece,” she said in an Instagram story.
“I am just as horrified at how Christians have become the gatekeepers of heaven. No wonder people leave church because so many think they’ve lost God just because they didn’t follow the rules established by the community but not God himself,” she added.
