Just before Pride Month drew to a close, Toni Gonzaga’s YouTube talk show “Toni Talks” uploaded an interview with LGBTQIA+ icons Ricky Reyes and Renee Salud.
Fondly known as “Mother Ricky” and “Mama Renee” respectively, they shared a commonality with each other as they were both breadwinners early on in their lives. During the conversation, they also explained their generous dedication to sending members of their families to school and even implementing programs to share their knowledge with low-income communities.
READ: LGBTQ icons Ricky Reyes, Renee Salud not in favor of same-sex marriage
Though their rags to riches tales were inspirational on their own, their appearance on “Toni Talks” was not without public dispute. When asked about their stances on same-sex marriage, neither of them was in favor. While many social media users were quick to criticize their comments, the attention soon shifted toward Gonzaga.
Gonzaga, who publicly endorsed Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the 2022 presidential elections, drew flak in 2021 for publishing an interview with him titled, “The Greatest Lesson Bongbong Marcos Learned From His Father,” just a little over a week before the anniversary of the declaration of martial law. She once again faces backlash for her untimely interviews.
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Ricky Reyes and Renee Salud’s contentious views
“If you’re pursuing marriage only for the legalities, for the purpose of dividing wealth or owning properties, then you can just talk about it. Just be partners in that aspect,” Salud said, after Gonzaga asked where they stood on same-sex marriage. “Marriage is only for a man and a woman,” added Reyes, stating that the LGBTQIA+ community should no longer interfere with what God intended.
The problem with members of the LGBTQIA+ community today, they said, was that they were too entitled and going “overboard.” “That’s not right anymore,” Reyes stated.
In response, Gonzaga shared that she had previously interviewed Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is one of the proponents of the SOGIE Bill. “I am the one who stopped the SOGIE Bill,” Reyes proudly exclaimed. When asked why, he failed to answer directly, simply stating that “no matter what you do to gay people, they will always be gay.”
Salud chimed in saying that he’s okay with giving members of the LGBTQIA+ community their rights and space in society, but that “the problem with some gays [is] they ask for too much.” The manner in which they responded to Gonzaga’s questions showed a clear misunderstanding of what the SOGIE Bill proposes, but Gonzaga did not make any attempt to clarify.
READ: Ang Pride ay protesta: The first-ever Stonewall Philippines is a return to Pride’s radical roots
Social media users began to question Gonzaga’s integrity as a host and journalist. Having heard from Senator Hontiveros directly that the SOGIE Bill does not seek to grant members of the LGBTQIA+ community any special privileges, why didn’t Gonzaga say anything? After all, is it not her job to not only provide a platform for her guests to share their thoughts but to challenge their opinions as well?
The public’s response
Many social media users were livid, with one X user even going so far as to curse her out and call Gonzaga “evil.” The post on X suggested that she deliberately invited Reyes and Salud to promote her conservative agenda.
Another social media user shared his response to the interview in an Instagram Reel, elucidating the basic foundation of the SOGIE Bill. It’s crucial to understand that the SOGIE Bill will largely protect members of the LGBTQIA+ community from gender-based discrimination, but that it ultimately benefits everyone. “We all have SOGIE,” Sy explained, “because we all have orientation, identity, and sex characteristics.” Whether you are gay or straight, the SOGIE Bill applies to you, too.
READ: Pride, LGBTQIA+ identity were here before any phobia, and will outlive all phobias
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Pola del Monte, a writer whose work has appeared on CNN and the New York Times, took to Instagram to post a series of infographics on the matter. With an audience of more than 20,000 followers, she shared a five-slide post that read, “Let’s not just criticize the guests—the host is complicit.”
“[Gonzaga] did not just enable this discourse; she engineered it,” the post read, driving home the point that “media practitioners must also consider the impact of their stories on the bigger movement, knowing that they have a role in shaping conversations.”
