As conversations surrounding Pride Month continue to grow louder every year, queer artists Marina Summers and Sassa Gurl say that some queer support remains performative, making them urge genuine allyship for the LGBTQIA+ community.
In a recent interview with Billboard Philippines, queer artists Marina, Sassa Gurl, and Gian Bernardino opened up about the realities of being LGBTQIA+ artists in the Philippines, sharing their thoughts on representation, self-expression, and the deeper meaning of Pride and allyship in today’s generation.
During the conversation, the artists were asked by host Bret Jackson which parts of LGBTQIA+ representation still feel performative today.
“Pride month,” Marina said.
Before elaborating her answer, Marina jokingly reached out to brands, expressing hope that despite her honest opinion, opportunities to work with them would still come her way. She also did not name any specific company.
“For me, I have the privilege to select the brands that I'm going to work with during Pride Month kasi I want to work with brands na aligned sa principles ko na hindi lang every Pride month nagpapakita na meron silang mga efforts even before or after Pride month,” she said.
Marina went on to call attention to brands that only engage with queer communities during Pride celebrations as a marketing strategy aimed at capitalizing on what many refer to as “pink money.”
“Pero marami talagang mga performative na mga content na alam mo paid collaborations with brands during Pride month to just to get that pink money. And I feel like up until now meron pa rin hindi pa rin siya nawawala. For me yun yung one of the biggest and most you know obvious na form of performative support to the queer community.”
For Marina, real support should not stop once Pride Month ends. She stressed that if brands choose to celebrate and collaborate with queer artists in June, that same commitment should be reflected internally within their own organizations through policies, education, and opportunities that actively protect and empower queer employees.
“If you're a brand and you want to tap artists every pride month, kailangan even after pride month, even sa workplace ninyo, dapat meron kayong pinapasa ng mga rules or benefits, ways to celebrate and give opportunities to your queer employees. Lahat dapat merong gender sensitive education ganyan. Dapat hindi lang ginagamit ang mga queer people para pabanguhin iyong brands ninyo. Dapat you are you are also doing something to represent [them] sa sari-sarili ninyong kumpanya.”
Echoing Marina’s sentiments, Sassa Gurl said the issue goes beyond simple representation and centers on intention. For her, performative support happens when brands, institutions, or organizations attach themselves to Pride only because they see an opportunity for profit, engagement, or public approval.
“Actually ang gusto ko lang namang i-pinpoint dito is whenever an institution, a brand or anything performs for pride, performs for the LGBT community and it's rooted dahil gusto mong kumita or gusto mong magkaroon ng engagement. That's so performative.”
Sassa Gurl emphasized that genuine support requires understanding the actual struggles queer people continue to face and building systems that directly address those realities.
“Kailangan mong malaman kung anong pinaglalaban namin. Kailangan mong malaman kung ano yung struggles namin,” she emphasized.
She also pointed out that performative behavior is not limited to brands alone, saying that many individuals who claim to be allies can also fall into the trap of superficial support.
According to Sassa Gurl, allyship becomes problematic when non queer individuals publicly support the LGBTQIA+ community only when there is something to gain in return, whether politically, financially, or socially.
READ: Here's why Charo Santos said yes to her first-ever queer role in ‘Until She Remembers’
“Isa pa sa mga pinaka-performative is yung performative allyship...ang ibig sabihin non [ay] if you are a non-queer person and you support the LGBT community, it becomes performative whenever selfish yung intentions mo. For example, it's just for politics, engagement, [pagkakakitaan] mo lang mga LGBT, you dress up as bakla tapos gusto mong magkaroon ng content para lang makakuha ng [kita] and you say na ally ka dahil magkaroon ka ng free pass para gawin yung content na yon, that's so fake. That's so performative. Wala kang wala kang ginawa. Wala kang itinulong sa struggles namin. Wala kang itinulong sa kung ano yung pinaglalaban namin.”
Because of this, Sassa Gurl encouraged people, especially members of the LGBTQIA+ community, to remain vigilant about who they choose to support and celebrate, noting that some individuals may publicly present themselves as allies while privately holding harmful beliefs.
“Maging mapagmatyag na din tayo sa mga papasikatin natin,” she continued.
Marina expanded further on the conversation by explaining that allyship is far more complex than simply being surrounded by queer friends. She said having relationships with queer people may be a starting point, but true allyship demands emotional support, empathy, and a willingness to understand experiences outside one’s own.
“You always have to be there for them. You don't necessarily need to have the answers for them, but just be there for them if they're trying to find who they are or parang if they're going through something.”
READ: Harry Styles kisses Ben Marshall as he claps back at queerbaiting allegations
“Eventually, [allyship is] trying to understand kagaya nga nung sabi ni Sassa, kasi itong pananamit namin hindi siya costume eh. Itong itong pagiging flamboyant namin hindi siya costume eh. Lived experience siya and that shouldn't be mocked. That shouldn't be used for something to gain something,” Marina continued.
She added that while queer people continuously navigate discrimination and fight for acceptance every day, it becomes especially harmful when others use those same identities and struggles merely for personal gain.
“Kasi kami nga ito araw-araw naming ginagawa pero we're still being reduced to something na hindi ka tanggap-tanggap. So why would you use something na pinaghihirapan namin every single day to gain something? That's when it becomes performative”.
Still, despite their criticisms, Marina acknowledged that when brands begin creating initiatives centered around queer communities during Pride Month, it can still serve as a starting point for more meaningful conversations and future action.
During the interview, Cup of Joe’s lead vocalist Gian also expressed hope that more queer artists will continue to fearlessly nurture their craft, embrace their identities fully, and create spaces where authentic representation can continue to thrive.