Social media personality Mark Averilla, also known as the famous “Mean Girls” Filipino dubber, claimed that an unnamed advertiser dropped a collaboration with him since it found him “too gay.”
He shared a screenshot of an online conversation he had with the advertiser on Facebook and added that it’s difficult to be an effeminate man in the Philippines.
“Ang hirap naman maging effem sa Pilipinas. Hanggang kelan tayo ganito. So dapat ba borta levels ako ganern? Dapat matigas me? Sana wala nang mga standards na ganyan,” Averilla wrote.
Ang hirap naman maging effem sa Pilipinas. Hanggang kelan tayo ganito. So dapat borta levels ako ganen? Dapat matigas me?Sana wala nang mga standards na ganyan.
Posted by Macoy Dubs on Thursday, December 12, 2019
In his Facebook Stories, Averilla questioned the brand’s initiative to tap someone gay.
“Bakit pa kayo nag-tap ng baklang [key opinion leader] kung taliwas rin naman ‘yung objectives niyo dun sa gagawin?” he said.
“Gusto niyo laging mga borta, pa-muscle ang labanan. Kawawa naman kaming mga chub, effem, sweet Barbie na mga bading. Nakakaloka, nakakalungkot. Sana mawala na ‘yung ganoong standards,” Averilla continued.
His fans and supporters urged him to reveal the brand’s name which led to countless speculations on the comments section.
Averilla answered that “it is not a QSR (quick service restaurant) brand” in one of the comments thread.
He added as a follow-up comment to his post that he cannot disclose its name due to a non-disclosure agreement.
“Ba’t ko pinost? Kasi I want you guys to be aware na nangyayari siya and gusto ko ipaalam na kahit bakla sa bakla ay may discrimination pa rin kaya kailangan matatag tayo sa mga ganitong usapin at bagay,” Averilla wrote.
“Nirerespeto ko ang decision ng brand… that’s their direction and as a professional, we need to accept that,” he added.
Averilla also specifically addressed those working with brands.
“To all the brands po, sana isipin natin lang (nang) maayos yung mga ita-tap bago makipag-usap. I was just expecting a proper way of declining the pending work that was given to me,” he said.
Averilla is known to collaborate with brands on social media campaigns, being someone who works in the advertising industry. He shares most of his collaborations on his Facebook page where his fans and supporters can view the campaigns.
He gained recognition following his viral “Mean Girls” Filipino dub which has since spawned memes and famous expressions like “Ganda ka?”
While there are certain ordinances that prevent the LBGTQ+ community from being discriminated in certain types of employment there are no laws on a national level that penalizes such an action.
Last year, a study done by the United Nations Development Program revealed that Filipino LGBTQ+ members continue to experience discrimination in the workplace due to the lack of people’s awareness of their rights.
“Implementation regulations are inadequate, and existing laws and ordinances that ban employment-related discrimination and harassment are not widely known or implemented, or contradict other laws or policies,” it added.
The country in 2000 witnessed the filing of a SOGIE (sexual orientation and gender identity expression) Equality or the Anti-Discrimination Bill that supported the LGBTQ community’s rights to equal access to work and public accommodation, among others.
