Singer Jake Zyrus released a topless photo of himself over the weekend, five years after he had undergone top surgery — also known as a chest reconstruction surgery.
Zyrus’ heartfelt post read, “Pinag-isipan kong maigi kung ipo-post ko ba ‘to. Kasi lagi kong iniisip kung anong sasabihin ng ibang tao. Sa ilang taon na nag-transition ako, masaya ako sa naging takbo ng buhay ko, pero lagi parin akong nai-insecure sa katawan ko. Siguro dahil na rin sa standard ng karamihan. (I thought long and hard whether I should post this, as I always think about what other people would say. Throughout the years I’ve transitioned, I’ve been happy with the course of my life but I’ve always felt insecure about my body, perhaps also because of most people’s standards.)”
Despite mustering the courage to post a personal photo that speaks to his transition progress, the singer’s post has earned mixed reactions from people on the internet — from the insolent laugh reactions on Facebook to more brazen posts condemning Zyrus. These posts have even gone so far as to deadnaming the singer, aka referring to his birth name before transitioning as a man), usually invoking religion, and wrote as if Zyrus needed their permission to have his breasts removed.
(“I don’t agree with what you did. It would have been fine if you did not want to act feminine but I hope you just stayed content with whatever God has given you. Sometimes people have insecurities because they do not know how to love and accept what God has given them. Do you think what you did is amusing? It’s not nice, especially for your family who loves you and especially in the eyes of who created and gave your boobs that you had taken away.”)
There was one who said that they “respected the gays” yet shamed and deadnamed Zyrus in the same breath, even saying, “Nireregla ka pa rin. Babae ka pa rin kahit bali-baliktaran man ang mundo. (You still get your period. You’re still a woman even if the world turns upside down.)”
While the Philippines has been named as one of the most tolerant countries in Asia for LGBTQ+ communities, the lived experiences of queer folk tend to be harsher in reality. The SOGIE Equality Bill, a legislative measure that further protects the rights of LGBTQ+ people and takes up anti-discrimination as a national duty, has languished for years under the Duterte administration. And who could forget boxing star and presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao’s 2016 statement comparing gay people to animals?
Amid the online vitriol, however, Zyrus has the last word, best summed it up in one of the paragraphs he wrote on the post.
“Masaya ako at gusto ko lang ipakita sa inyo na eto ako. Sa wakas, komportable sa nakikita ko. Hindi ako humihingi ng opinyon. Para ito sa mga kapwa ko transgender. Kung naghahanap kayo ng sign o confidence para ipakita at maging proud sa kung sino ka, tara sasabayan kita. Para sayo ‘to.”
(“I’m happy and I just want you to see who I am. Finally, comfortable with what I see. I’m not asking for your opinion. This is for my fellow transgender folk. If you are looking for a sign or for confidence to show yourself and be proud of who you are, I’m with you. This is for you.”)
Zyrus earlier rose to international fame after clips as a child contestant on the singing competition Little Big Star went viral — earning television spots in countries such as South Korea and later, the United States, where he captured Oprah’s attention.
David Foster soon took Zyrus under his wing, touring with the famed composer worldwide. Zyrus also released a studio album that landed in the top 8 of the Billboard 200 in 2010 and had a recurring role in the show Glee.
READ: Queerphobic reactions to Beatrice Gomez’s Miss Universe PH win shows we have a long way to go
