There’s nothing cute or productive about making unwanted assumptions about people and expecting them to act that way.
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We as a society have come a long way with how we talk about the LGBTQIA+ community. But there are still pain points when it comes to the discourse on sexual orientation, particularly on people’s tendency to assume whether or not someone is part of the community. It goes without saying that you just don’t assume those kinds of things and take it as fact even though the individual never publicly said so.
This kind of mindset does more harm than good with how it takes away from coming out being a personal decision or leads to stereotypes of what people think someone who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community should act. No one is immune to these rumors, but they’re especially common with celebrities. Take SB19’s Stell, for example. Despite being a talented artist with an insane set of pipes, Stell is often the subject of rumors that he’s gay or people assuming he is. Well, he’s had enough of it and recently let it be known that there’s nothing nice that comes from these rumors.
SO WHAT?
In an interview on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Stell was asked about the rumors that he’s gay, and ended the shady comments with a fire response: “Tingin po ba nila insulto iyong ganong klaseng bagay?” He went on to express that the gossip doesn’t bring him down if that was the intention.
INSTAGRAM/STELL16_
And besides, for Stell, being gay isn’t an insult or a problem. “I don’t mind na kung if ever man isipin nila na ganon. Kasi, if ever man na ganon ako, what’s the problem? So if ever na ganoon ako, anong problema? So, may issue ba tayo if for example maging bakla ako or anything naman na matawag niyo sa akin?” he told Boy Adunda.
Adding on to that, Stell shot down the idea that not being straight makes you less of a person. For the P-pop idol, your sexual orientation should not be a factor in your worth as a human being. “Pare-parehas naman tayong tao. Pare-parehas naman tayong kumakain. Pare-parehas naman tayong dumudumi. So, I don’t think mayroon kang kinalamang sa akin.”
UNHEALTHY SHIPPING
When it comes to assuming celebrities’ sexual orientation, a factor that fuels the discourse is the prevalence of shipping in fandoms. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, putting too much focus on ships may have fans projecting ideas and unrealistic expectations on the personality when that isn’t who they are in real life. Celebs have been vocal about how uncomfortable it can get to be seen as something they’re not in ships. And Stell is another star who knows how problematic excessive shipping culture can get.
INSTAGRAM/STELL16_
While acknowledging that shipping is a part of fandoms, Stell called out how too far it can go sometimes. “Sa issue naman po na yung mga fans mahilig sa shipping, hindi namin maiiwasan ‘yon. Kasi kami nga minsan, nagkakaano rin kami… bakit parang ganon yung tingin ng tao. Ayaw rin naman naming hayaan siya at maapektuhan kami as friends, as a group,” he said in the interview. Stell sees misleading shipping videos and fans taking them too seriously as helping fuel gay rumors and other issues. “Kasi kung sa amin joke lang siya at sa iba, sa public iniisip nila totoo, magagawan pa ng malalang isyu, na parang doon sa napanood ko.”
Even though it’s 2024, we still have to deal with grown adults with questionable and frankly homophobic mindsets who see being part of the LGBTQIA+ community as an issue. It’s admirable that Stell would speak up about this problematic behavior and how being LGBTQIA+ is not a problem given his platform as an A-list star. Maybe instead of assuming someone’s sexual orientation or putting unrealistic and even harmful ideas on your faves, why not mind your business and let them open up if and when they want to?
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