WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!!!

I can almost hear every single Ph #BL devotee shouting this in their minds when a few days ago, a raging fanatic on Twitter let out a series of derogatory commentaries against Ph BLs. HE/SHE WAS VERY MAD. But... should it really concern us?

~A THREAD~

THE TWEETS

Let's call this user MC, as in MAD COW. He/she seems to be feeding on attention so let's hide his/her online identity (because we are reasonable fans, yeah?). [Tagging @itsshaqii here]

MC, based on his/her tweets, obviously is an overzealous Thai BL follower intolerant of the idea that BLs made outside of Thailand are also good stuff.

THE REAL ENEMY

In a nutshell, MC's belief is this: ONLY THAI BLs ARE LEGIT. It's like when Trump said he is the GREATEST P.O.T.U.S. [Tagging @TheRainBro]

They can't be right nor wrong. It's their opinion. We are in the free world. We are entitled to it. We can't attack them but... we can EDUCATE the likes of 'em who are willing to listen because some opinions are just downright IGNORANT.

IGNORANCE is the enemy of so many but ultimately of one vital thing: REASON.

I see clearly that the likes of MC (and Trump) can't be swayed with even the most proper reasonings because minds like that are locked from the inside.

And... this is not for MC anyway. This is for you... yes, YOU! Because you are a rational, thinking BL stan.

THAILAND: THE CATALYST

Though Yaoi/BL's original concept when it was conceived in Japan is about two straight men falling in love, it has evolved immensely through the years.

It has now become an essential platform for the LGBTQIA+ community to promote and normalize gay love because love is universal and genders are not a prerequisite before you can fully indulge yourself in this crazy, beautiful thing.

Every BL follower knows how pivotal Thailand's role is in bringing this once niche genre to the mainstream. The first BL I fell in love with was Thai-made: SOTUS. It came to me at the time I needed it the most---that time when I was fighting ME.

I was a corporate man nearing his 30s, closeted most of his life... #SOTUS 'helped' me come out to my friends. It was the most liberating feeling. I'm forever grateful.

There's no denying, Thailand thrusted BL into where it is now. If the BL genre is a house, Japan made the floor plan, some countries donated materials but the Thai Kingdom built the whole damn thing and what a beautiful house they've done!

From Love of Siam to the immensely popular, 2gether: The Series that's been credited to have made the genre more prominent on a global scale, Thailand's contribution to the genre is, without a doubt, cosmic.

THE RISE OF PH BLs

A week after #2getherTheSeries concluded, the whole queer community was taken aback when another BL, without an ounce of fanfare, came into sight...a series no one thought would change the game and destroy many shitty tropes we have tolerated for years---GB+

#GameboysTheSeries marked the first time The Philipines, the only pre-dominant Christian nation in Southeast Asia, ventured into the BL genre. Though a lot of gay-themed shows came before it, GB is credited to be the first official Filipino BL.

The Philippines entered the room... and actually has no plans of leaving. In just four months since May, PH has had produced more than 15 new BL shows and a lot more are in the works. Absolutely no one predicted this surge.

In a year when majority of the global populaces feel disconnected and isolated because of losing the pre-Covid privileges, the LGBTQIA+ community feels the opposite... we feel more connected and validated, more than ever. This BL surge is an absolute dessert to a disgusting meal.

PH ON THE RIGHT TRACK

The BL genre is not all cherries. There's a dark side to it: its  virulent tropes. Relp's that start with rape, the marked top/bot or husb/wife, the evil girl, unconsensual (sexl) actions, incest, etc. THERE'S A LOT! It's what PH BLs are slowly tearing down

Thailand built the house and the Philippines is not only renovating parts of the house that's problematic, it's also attempting to make this HOUSE a HOME. Will it be successful? Well, only time can really tell.

ON ORIGINALITY

Lemme take a u-turn coz I really want to share my insights about the issue on originality which MC also pointed out in his tirades.

I really DO NOT think anything is original on this planet. The world we live in is packed with things and ideas that have been thought of or made way before our time.

As Director Jim Jarmusch put it: “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.”

Gay/homo stories or themes have always been hiding in our societal fiber when Japan hoisted it and made it an artform. Thailand (and other countries) then 'stole' it and made this genre more exposed. PH is doing the same thing--- 'STEAL and KILL' ('killing' as in the idiom )

BL GENRE: A CRUSADE

BL is more than just a genre. It goes beyond borders and races. It is a crusade. Saturating the media brimmed with het related content is the main intention because GAY STORIES ARE HUMAN STORIES, too.

Being schismatic is uncalled for esp. in this time when what's needed is the solidarity and unity of our community that's long been oppressed in all facets of this patriarchal society where #GAYLOVE is wrong but a het man's infidelity gets overwhelming media attention.

Let us continue supporting BLs and any other gay-related media no matter where they come from because our struggles as a community are universal.

Remember this: being gay is not voluntary... HATE is.