'Gaya sa Pelikula' is Trending for the Wrong Reason, Its Message in Danger
The message of the Boy Love series, "Gaya sa Pelikula" is "endangered," its producer said Wednesday, as Twitter was rife with talk of alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes.
Globe Studios head Quark Henares did not mention names, except for putting his statement in the context of "recent events". His statement casts doubt on the future of the series also called GSP, which was a long time coming for the LGBTQIA+ community.
"I’ve witnessed how one person’s acts can affect a whole community. I watched a whole room full of people cry, recent events bringing out painful memories or feelings of helplessness. People blaming themselves because they felt they failed those they swore they’d protect," Henares said in a thread.
Henares shared a photo of the GSP team whose caption read "Atin pa rin ang kwento." It did not name series writer Juan Miguel Severo, who had been trending on Twitter since early this week.
What happened?
Lead actor Paolo Pangilinan condemned in a series of tweets "harassers" who shouldn’t assert their position of power "especially when they’ve been reported already". Reportr reached out to Pangilinan's management as early as Monday for the full context but is yet to receive a response.
The allegations are unconfirmed as of Wednesday, but fans already rallied behind Pangilinan and some four others also came forward, claiming they were harassed by Severo in the past.
Produced in pandemic year 2020, GSP was part of a wave of BL films that finally broke into the mainstream, bringing promise of rightful representation on queer love in Pinoy cinema. Sentiments of "feeling betrayed" filled the platform, as disappointed fans noted how the importance of consent was among the key lessons of the show.
"It inspired people. It empowered kids who were afraid to admit who they were. It advocated safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community," Henares the producer said, sharing how the team felt after seeing stan accounts start to question the show and its message after what happened.
After convening Tuesday, Henares said members of the GSP family took their time to reassess and reflect if their show was "bigger than one person" to address "one lingering question": what now comes next for the show whose second season taping was supposed to start next week.
Henares only said from a personal standpoint: "I will not work with anyone who uses their power to take advantage of anyone else. In any capacity".
In a separate thread, Henares said although Paolo Pangilinan expressed his intention to continue starring in GSP, the show's future depends on fans who "have been traumatized as well".