Actress and content creator Awra Briguela is using her voice to advocate for gender inclusivity shortly after completing senior high school.
On July 16, Briguela, who uses she/her pronouns, reposted an infographic from advocacy group LoveYourself Inc. on her Instagram Story. The post highlighted how misgendering — the act of using incorrect pronouns — is not only hurtful but also rooted in deeper issues of discrimination.
“Habang iniisip ng iba na ‘wala lang yan,’ ang totoo, ito’y anyo ng homophobia at transphobia,” the art card read. “We all deserve to be seen, heard, and called by our name and pronouns. Misgendering is a form of disrespect.”
The post resurfaced amid online remarks by a certain Jack Argota, who dismissed Briguela’s gender identity and suggested referring to her as “bro” in light of her graduation. This drew criticism from supporters, with one fan page responding, “Sa pagiging mabait na nga lang babawi, di pa nagawa.”
Briguela has since clarified through a statement to the Philippine Entertainment Portal that she does not own or manage a Facebook account. Her official fan page also noted in its bio that it is run by supporters and not by the actress herself.
Despite this, filmmakers Ronaldo Carballo and Darryl Yap shared snippets of the online exchange involving the fan page, seemingly unaware that it wasn’t Briguela’s personal account.
Briguela completed her senior high school at the University of the East earlier this month. In a heartfelt post, she shared how meaningful the milestone was, having faced academic challenges and social struggles throughout her school years.
