KINONDENA ng publiko ang LGBTQIA+ member na pinatayo umano nang dalawang oras sa kanyang harapan ang waiter na tinawag siya ng “sir” sa isang restaurant sa Cebu City.
Ayon sa ulat, hindi pinaalis ng Cebu-based writer na si Jude Bacalso ang waiter hangga’t hindi umano nareresolba ang isyu sa pagitan niya, ng waiter at ng may-ari ng establisimento ang pagtawag sa kanya ng “server” ng “sir.”
Ayon sa post ni John Calderon, isa ring miyembro ng LGBTQIA+ community, alas-4 ng hapon noong Linggo nang nakita niya si Bacalso na nakaharap sa nakatayong waiter.
Noong una ay hindi pinansin ni Calderon ang eksena dahil inakala lang niya na nag-uusap si Bacalso at ang waiter.
Pero makaraan ang dalawang oras ay hindi pa rin umaalis sa harap ni Calderon ang waiter kaya nilapitan niya ito.
“I asked this guy Jude if he was the owner or customer. The guy Jude sarcastically said “Go ask him (referring to the server) what happened. Then I asked the server what happened, and he answered ‘Natawag ko siyang sir’.” ani Calderon.
Dagdag niya, paulit-ulit umanong humingi ng paumanhin ang waiter kay Bacalso pero hindi umano natinag ang huli.
Ayon sa netizen, wala umanong magawa ang ibang empleyado ng restaurant dahil malapit si Bacalso sa may-ari ng restaurant.
Napag-alaman na nakaalis lamang ang waiter nang kumprontahin ni Calderon si Bacalso.
“You voicing for LGBTQ? For that mere mistake sa server, is that how you want to influence? Part ko sa LGBT myself and you bring shame sa ating community,” sabi ni Calderon kay Bacalso.
Sa kanyang panig, inamin ni Bacalso na pinagalitan niya ang waiter pero hindi niya ito pinilit na tumayo nang dalawang oras sa kanyang harapan.
“What transpired between me and the staff at a restaurant was a series of errors. Yes, I was addressed as sir. No, I did not scream or shout at the wait staff who did. My students call me sir and my nephews and nieces call me uncle, so it is no skin off my nose and it is funny to me that transphobes seem to think I am anguished by it. I am used to being misgendered, and if it is an honest mistake, I take that as an opportunity to educate,” aniya sa Facebook.
Inamin din niya na malapit siya sa may-ari ng restaurant. “Because I am close to the owners of the restaurant, I informed them directly instead of taking it thoughtlessly to the court of public opinion. The error was made even more jarring to me since one of the owners is a beautiful transwoman, whose own transition I have witnessed through the years,” ani Bacalso.
Paliwanag niya, pinatayo niya ang waiter para pag-usapan ang isyu.
“Did the staff stand there for hours? Yes, we were waiting to resolve it with the owners. Did I demand that he stand there as punishment? No. The supervisor was there when I discussed with the erring staff that perhaps a gender sensitivity seminar would benefit them. The supervisor acknowledged that this incident was a wake-up call to them and that they would welcome that opportunity,” wika niya.
Pinuna naman ni Bacalso ang netizen na nag-post ukol sa insidente. “What transpired between me and the staff was also a matter to be settled between us, and we were. Quietly. Until that hatemongering post,” punto niya.
