Actor Janus del Prado ignited controversy on July 18, 2025, after publishing a Facebook post aimed directly at actress and LGBTQIA+ personality Awra Briguela, accusing her of behavior that he claims is harming the gay community and turning the public against it.
In his lengthy post, Janus alleged that Awra’s use of feminine pronouns and her perceived public persona were contributing to growing resentment toward LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly from allies.
“Awra. You are doing too much to the point that you are hurting the gay community,” he wrote. “People are starting to turn against the entire gay community because of this kind of entitlement. Nadadamay sila sa bashing.”
He also claimed that conversations about gender identity were “overshadowing” biological women as well as gays and lesbians, and that “neo genders and pronouns that lack common sense” were dominating the discourse.
“Stop acting like you are being oppressed because you are not,” Janus added. “It even destroyed Hollywood, Sports and their Education System. Balik na sila sa two gender policy.”
Del Prado went on to blame Western influence for what he sees as the overcomplication of gender identity, stating, “Nakigaya lang naman tayo sa pauso ng US and other western countries.”
He ended his post with an appeal to other gay individuals: “Please speak up pag wala na sa hulog yung ginagawa ng miyembro ng kumunidad niyo. Don’t be an enabler just because they are a part of your group. It will only hurt the gay community and what you stand for.”
Del Prado emphasized that people have the right not to conform to others’ gender identities if it goes against their own values or beliefs:
“If you want to call yourself a ‘She’ or a ‘Her’ then go, live and enjoy your life the way you want to. Just don’t expect and force everyone else to play along.”
The timing of Janus’s remarks drew further criticism, as they came just days after Awra celebrated one of her biggest achievements — graduating from senior high school after a five-year academic hiatus due to the pandemic. In her heartfelt post, she shared the struggles of returning to school, thanked her support system, and used “she/her” pronouns in her public gratitude to her talent manager, Vice Ganda.
Online backlash intensified after influencer Jack Argota misgendered Awra in a separate post reacting to an art card about her graduation, writing: “Anong her? Goodluck bro!”
While Janus did not directly reference Awra’s graduation post, many observers believe his post was spurred by the online discourse that followed.
As of writing, Awra has not responded publicly to Janus’s remarks. Instead, she appeared to stay grounded, reposting Vice Ganda’s uplifting message: “Congratulations!!!! Never mind the noise. Focus on your win. Love u!”
To which Awra replied, “Thank you so much My Lovely Muder, I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you. I promise I’ll keep focusing on the love and the people who truly matter just like you taught me. The rest? They’re just background noise.”
Social media reaction to Janus’s post has been polarizing. Some netizens praised him for “speaking up,” while others called the remarks transphobic and dismissive of evolving gender identities, accusing him of perpetuating exclusion and erasure.
