- Paolo Ballesteros firmly believes that nobody has the right to out somebody else.
- He explained his answer on Maine Mendoza’s Humans of Barangay.
- He also asked netizens to be ready and responsible when posting on social media.
Paolo Ballesteros recently stated that nobody has the right to choose for another person to come out about their real sexual orientation. In an interview with PEP.ph, Paolo explained how Maine Mendoza asked him about coming out for her Humans of Barangay passion project. Paolo and Maine are hosts for Eat Bulaga‘s segment, Juan for All, All for Juan.
In the said interview, Paolo stressed that it will be the person’s choice to come out or not. He, then, continued that the society shouldn’t dictate people to come out or not. He also tensed that the society can never decide for another person.
“Ang tanong niya kasi sa akin dun, kailan ba tamang mag-out yung taong hindi naman out? Sabi ko nga, it’s a choice, e. Hindi lang yun choice, it’s your choice, it’s your own choice kung gusto mo—if you’re coming out, if you want to be out, or not.”
Sometimes the society would push a closeted gay to come out as Paolo explained. Society’s reasoning will remain as for the sake of the closeted’s happiness. However, Paolo noted: what if the closeted is already happy with his or her state?
“Minsan, parang ganun yung feeling na, sige, mag-out ka para mas masaya, para huwag ka nang magtago, ganyan-ganyan… E, malay mo naman, masaya naman siya. Sino ba nagsabi na hindi siya masaya?”
Paolo believed that netizens should be ready and responsible when posting on social media. He emphasized that social media always has a negative side. He also added that posting something online already allows people to either hate or praise you.
“Yun yung medyo negative side ng social media pag meron kang account, meron kang IG. Parang you’re letting them to comment on you, whether it’s bashing or praises. Ikaw yung unang nagbigay sa kanila ng way kasi ikaw yung nag-post. Otherwise, kung ayaw mong mangyari sa ‘yo yun, hindi ka magpu-post.”
He also believed that when a person doesn’t have anything good to say, they should just not say it or keep it to themselves. Hating on someone doesn’t help anyone.
“Pero ang problema kasi sa atin, masyado tayong maraming alam, ang mga Pinoy, ang dami nating say, ang dami nating kuda. Ako kasi, naniniwala na if you don’t have anything good to say, then just don’t say it or keep [it] to yourself, kasi wala namang maitutulong yun, e. Kaya kapag merong negative na mga comments, deadma lang, kasi that’s part of it, hindi mo matatanggal yun.”