- Iyah Mina is the Best Actress winner in the 2018 Cinema One Originals film festival.
- A gender-insensitive article saw print which Chai Fonacier called out.
- Chai expressed her anger in her now-private Twitter account .
Chai Fonacier recently reacted to a tabloid article about Iyah Mina, a transgender woman, winning the Best Actress category of the 2018 Cinema One Originals film festival.
The lead star of Mamu (And A Mother Too) is the first transgender to win a Best Actress award in the Philippines.
Article in Abante.
Chai shared Archie Liao and Roldan Castro‘s article in Abante expressing her anger on its headline which read,“Dating beki tinalong Best Actress sina Rufa Mae [Quinto], Meryl [Soriano], CHAI, Loisa [Andalio], Eula [Valdes].”
Chai stars in 2018 Cinema One Originals entry, Asuang. The first paragraph in the article read:
“Nababalot ng kontrobersya ang Best actress category dahil isang baguhang transwoman ang tumalo kina Rufa Mae Quinto, Meryl Soriano, Chai Fonacier, Loisa Andalio at Eula Valdes sa Cinema One Originals Festival 2018. Ito’y si Iyah Mina para sa pelikulang Mamu; and A Mother Too.”
Chai expresses anger.
Fonacier pointed out that it was only a clickbait-y article made to manipulate the reader’s emotions. In her now-private Twitter account, Chai noted that Iyah IS a she.
“Why should it be a “controversy” if a transwoman won the Best Actress award? Why must it be a click bait? ‘Nabalot ng kontrobersiya,’ says the lede in. Fuck it, it’s 2018. Get with the program. She’s a she. She won fair and square. Fuck you.”
Chai then, called its writers counterproductive to the LGBTQ+ community.
“Sinong sumulat nito? Kung miyembro ka man ng LGBTQ+ community, if ever, ha, wala kang inambag sa pagsulat mo ng lede in na ito. Counterproductive ka sa laban.
“Dapat, we should celebrate that a transwoman won a Best Actress Award. Pero in a positive light. Napaka walang hiya naman yung headline na “Dating Beki,” plus yung lede in na may controversy daw. Napaka Nega and counterproductive sa laban ng LGBTQ+. “
“Ito talaga yung di ko maintindihan sa tabloid press: kay dami ninyong member ng LGBTQ+ Community, pero halos wala kayong inaambag. Di ko maintindihan kung ba’t kayo counterproductive. Where the hell do you really stand?”
“Hoy, 2018 na. May google na, kung di nyo pa alam yan. May communities na that you can ask. Wala pa rin kayong progress? Intriga pa rin ang motivation ninyo? What, to sell papers? Diyos ko lang ha.”
Columnist reacts
Showbiz editor Roldan Castro didn’t mince words towards Chai. On his column on October 25, Roldan called Chai a “starlet” and stood firm on his statements. “Akala mo kagandahan itong starlet na si Chai Fonacier sa pagtatahol at pagre-react sa paggamit ng Abante Tonite sa salitang ‘dating beki’ ang nanalong best actress sa CinemaOne Originals.
Ano bang problema ng starlet na ito e totoo namang dating beki si Iyah Mina?”
“Wala ka bang isip Chai ? Magmura sa Abante Tonite. Ikaw yata ang nagpapakontrobersiyal, eh. ‘Wag feelingera. Wala kang karapatang magmura sa katiting na naiambag mo sa industriya kung meron man.
Mga sibilisado tayong tao at may pinag-aralan para idaan sa pagmumura. ‘Wag attitude.
‘Wag makapal ang mukha para magmura.”
Para sa ikalilinaw ng utak mo, nasabing nababalot ng kontrobersya ang pagkapanalo ni Iyah dahil isang baguhan at transgender naman talaga ang tumalo sa inyo.”
Baka naman hindi mo matanggap na siya ang nanalo? Halatang-halata na sourgraping ka, ‘te!”