In celebration of Pride Month, MEGAStyle rounds up some moments that prove BINI is one of the biggest LGBTQIA+ community’s most ardent allies
The nation’s girl group BINI is on the rise; and with it, their platform and influence. When artists with such traction and influence show that they are staunch supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community, sometimes even explicitly raising them themselves, they celebrate the existence of all those who have been denied their right to love and to express themselves.
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Music is a safe haven for everyone—from the closeted finding sanctuary in songs, to the out-and-prouds using tracks as their love-is-love anthems. As Pride is always a special time of the year, here are moments that prove that in every proverbial note, melody, and harmony, within BINI’s soundtrack is where the rainbow colors can also shine.
Huwag Muna Tayo Umuwi as a Queer Love Song
The steady support by Blooms, their fanbase, comes in different waves—from listening to their tracks to even creating a world within the Bini Land through alternate universe fan fiction and theories. One of their songs, Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi, has become a favorite of many of their supporters not only because of its romantic feel, but also how it is a genderless type of love song. The ballad created a level of relatability for listeners of the LGBTQIA+ community, allowing them to find their own connection to young love’s ebb and flow. The track, which made it to the soundtrack of Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano’s film An Inconvenient Love, was penned by Nica Del Rosario, a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
In a former interview with ABS-CBN, Nica shared that the sapphic or queer undertones in the song were not intentional, however: “The fact that other people see it as a queer love song just furthers the point that queer love and straight love aren’t that different from each other.”
She further adds, “I’m happy and grateful that I can help young queer people the way I wanted to be helped as a young queer person. We really need more art and media na feel-good lang, where there’s no drama involved—it’s just a regular love story. Queer people need to be assured that there’s nothing with who they are—that loving someone of the same gender isn’t the explosive, dramatic thing that some pieces of media portray it to be.”
On social media, however, the songwriter confirms that Huwag Muna Tayo Umuwi is indeed a queer track. BINI singing and performing this ballad creates the feel-good media representation for the Pride community—no drama or struggles involved.
Reading Queer Romances and AUs
Gone are the days of having to search for queer literature in a heterosexual desert. The landscape is vast—and so are the consumers. One of which is BINI Colet, who, in June last year, posted a photo reading a sapphic book, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
While it may just be a regular photo, posting in Pride month is also an act of subtle solidarity, as Blooms and other P-Pop enthusiasts quickly noticed. Finally, P-Pop artists are also seen unapologetically consuming the power of queer literature, driving further the progress in normalizing LGBTQIA+ identities and relationships.
Based on their likes in X, BINI members are also reading fan-made Alternate Universe (AU) stories on social media. These AUs pair the members together with a romantic context. In fan culture, it is unusual to see the artists starring in the AUs read them on livestream and react to them out loud. BINI, however, has shown time and again they do not adhere to what is usual—further solidifying their status as the nation’s girl group.
BINI’s Surprise Performance at Drag Show
Last May, BINI joined drag queens Zymba Ding, J Quinn, and others during their “Pantropiko” number at the launch of Watermelon, surprising bar goers in Quezon City. Their performance of their recent hit song “Salamin, Salamin” was also a treat for the queers. Main vocalist Maloi Recalde even voiced her gratitude for the LGBTQIA+ community’s support: “Mabuhay ang mga bakla! Thank you so much sa pagmamahal na binigay niyo sa BINI.”
Headlining Pride Month
If those rainbow-tinted moments were not enough to show they are one of the staunchest allies of the rainbow community, BINI will also be headlining this year’s Quezon City Pride celebration on June 22 alongside Vice Ganda and drag queen Marina Summers. In 2023, 110,000 people came together for the most vibrant parade and historic event of the year. This time, we might see even more people raising their flags and colors—with BINI at the forefront showing their support and celebration of how love indeed wins.
Photos and Featured Image: BINI (Via Instagram)
