A viral photo of the Cebu-based personality and LGBTQ+ community member Jude Bacalso, in which she is seen berating a waitstaff at a restaurant in a Cebu mall, has caught the attention of netizens and ignited a huge debate.
The viral picture shows Jude Bacalso seated while the staff is standing, and the Cebu-based personality is involved in a heated conversation.
Jude Bacalso Issues Clarification
However, Jude Bacalso has issued a clarification and explained the whole incident on facebook.
“Earlier today, I sat down to quietly settle the matter with the restaurant management, one crew and the store supervisor who were present last night. The waiter I had a disagreement with was not present. After each one of us aired our sides, I am happy to share that we have agreed to pursue together more inclusive practices in the restaurant.
I also realized that in the impassioned pursuit of my advocacy, I could have done with a little measure of kindness, sadly quite absent in the ruckus this has all unnecessarily created when it was made public without our knowledge. I made a personal apology to the group present, and requested if I may do so for the concerned waiter. I am also making it very public with this post, as it has become quite public fodder.
I also want to underscore that the management always had the back of their personnel with constant communication with me on behalf of their employees, who are all treated as family, as I know personally from their history. To quote the supervisor, they served me as best they could even if it was most difficult for them to do so. I would like also to reiterate that I did not demand that the waiter stand for the whole length of time, as I was explaining my side of the gender sensitivity issue, it was he who chose to stand in front of me as we waited for input from management, who I attempted to contact.
My apologies also to the rest of the staff who are disheartened by the way things have escalated, as well as to the customers present at that time. This is a huge chunk of humble pie that I must ingest, because I have erred. May we start here with, as the supervisor pointed out, an uphill path to reconciliation and we hope you will be able to allow us and yourselves to do so unhampered so we may all learn and heal from this.”
Jude clarified that she had asked the waiter if he wanted to sit down and relax, but he refused and remained standing.
Jude added that she never demanded that the waiter remain standing.
However, what provoked the heated debate between Jude and the waiter? Read on to know the whole episode.
The episode started when the waitstaff called Jude Bacalso “Sir”.
However, later Jude acknowledged that it was an honest mistake on the part of the waitstaff.
Jude Bacalso clarified that she did not feel antagonized and was only using the opportunity to educate the staff.
Jude called the owners of the restaurant and suggested to him to have a briefing session with the waitstaff and educate them properly about how to address people and give gender sensitivity education to the waiter.
It was at this moment when netizens snapped a photo and later posted it on social media.
Jude Bacalso later said that the conversation was taking place in a very cordial manner and she never raised her voice.
She further said that she said sorry to the rest of the staff as well as the customers who were feeling distressed by the way things had turned out.
Bacalso’s statement was shared 6.5K times and has attracted over 5K comments by the time of writing this article. It has generated 28K reactions and counting.
Netizens React
Bacalso Jude received a big backlash on social media after the incident; a number of netizens resorted to repeatedly commenting “sir” and tagging the LGBTQ+ member on several posts relating to the incident.
SOGIE advocate Vojhn Releigh derided the hateful posts and said that spreading hate and mockery towards Jude’s identity instead of addressing the act itself is inappropriate.
He added that such hateful comments only reaffirm the need for SOGIESC education, which is crucial in fostering safe spaces for all.
The Cebu restaurant, Ulli’s Streets of Asia, also released a statement after the episode and stated that they have talked to their staff and are educating them since their welfare is of utmost priority.
The restaurant also expressed their apologies to the guests and added that their suggestions will help the restaurant serve the guests in a better manner and said that discrimination has no place in their restaurant.
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