Pura Luka Vega, the drag queen behind the viral “Ama Namin” video, on Friday apologized to those who felt uncomfortable with his performance, but added the issue will not be the end of their way of expressing art and practicing faith.
“I feel like they want me to apologize, but I apologize if it made them uncomfortable, but I really did that performance as a way for me to kind of heal the exclusion I have experienced as a Catholic, as a queer person being somewhat being made to feel that I don’t really belong,” Vega told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
Early this week, a video of Vega went viral online as it showed the drag queen wearing an outfit to appear like Jesus Christ while
performing the rock version of “Ama Namin,” the Filipino version of the Lord’s prayer.
This drew flak from the public, with some senators saying it was blasphemous, offensive, and disrespectful.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri even said that Vega can be criminally charged for the performance under Article 201 of the
Revised Penal Code.
This punishes those who “offend any race or religion in the performance of obscene or indecent plays, scenes, acts or shows in
theaters, fairs, or any other place,” the lawmaker noted.
Fr. Jerome Secillano, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, told CNN Philippines in another interview that the
performance done by Vega was not a way to worship.