Awra Briguela slams professor’s alleged transphobic statements
Awra Briguela has called out a professor from Universidad de Manila who allegedly made transphobic remarks online.
In a social media post, the comedian shared a screenshot of a carousel post of her at the beach, where the professor was seen commenting, “Ay babaeng may b---t.”
Briguela, a transgender woman in the process of transitioning, criticized the comment for being "degrading and transphobic," and how it was a remark that "no educator should ever say to anyone."
"As a professor, you are expected to uphold professionalism, respect, and basic human decency. Educators should serve as role models and create safe spaces for students, not contribute to online bullying, humiliation, and discrimination," she said.
"What he did was completely unacceptable and disappointing coming from someone in a position of authority," she added.
According to Briguela, what was even more concerning was how this wasn't the first time that the professor discriminated against the LGBTQ+ community, as others have also opened up to the actress about their alleged negative experiences with him.
Briguela is considering formally reporting the matter to the UDM administration and gathering statements from individuals who may have also experienced inappropriate treatment from him.
"Accountability is important, especially for people entrusted to educate and influence students," she stressed.
"Respect should never depend on gender identity, appearance, or personal opinions. Everyone deserves dignity, and no professor should use their platform to publicly shame or degrade another person," she continued.
She went on to implore those who have similar experiences with the professor to reach out to her privately.
In a separate post on her Instagram stories, Briguela shared one of the messages she received from another student of the professor, who recalled that he has long been making discriminatory remarks against queer people.
"One time, sinabi niya sa buong class, 'Katulad ni awra, mukhang babae na raw pero may b***t, pwede ba yun? Make sure niyo na kapag transgender kayo, maganda kayo, 'di yung mukha kayong si Awra.' Sabay tinuro ako. Hiyang-hiya ako nun sa class namin since hindi naman ako nagko-cross dress eh tapos dinamay ako. Ever since that day, nag-iba na tingin namin sa kanya," the student claimed.
Briguela lamented that seeing messages like this is "so frustrating and upsetting."
"If a transgender person is not 'beautiful' enough in his eyes, does that make it okay to disrespect them? To humiliate them in front of an entire class? To make them the punchline of offensive jokes? That kind of mindset is deeply disturbing, especially coming from an educator," she said.
"As a transgender woman myself, it hurts knowing that there are professors who think this way about people like us—as if we need to meet their standards first before we deserve basic respect and dignity. We should not have to prove our beauty, appearance, or femininity just to be treated like human beings," she added.
UDM's LGBTQIA+ organization speaks out
UDM - Bahaghari, the LGBTQIA+ student organization of the school, also condemned the "inappropriate and disrespectful" comment by the professor.
"We do not support comments, actions, or statements that insult, degrade, or attack someone because of who they are," they said in a statement.
"Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, accepted, and heard both inside and outside social media spaces," they added.
UDM - Bahaghari maintained that every individual should have the right to express themselves freely without fear of judgment, discrimination, or humiliation.
"Differences in identity and expression should never be used as reasons to spread hate or negativity. Instead, these differences should encourage understanding, kindness, and respect among people," they underscored.
"As an organization, we remain committed to protecting the dignity and welfare of every person. We encourage everyone to practice responsible use of social media, choose respectful words, and help build a community that values compassion, inclusivity, and human rights," they continued.
Briguela previously opened up about how she is focusing on her transitioning era this year and that she will no longer give transphobes the freedom to bully her.
