Direk Perci Intalan apektado sa ending ng ‘Game Boys’, may payo sa magulang ng LGBTQ kids

NASULAT na namin dito sa BANDERA na gagawing pelikula ang digital series na “Game Boys” produced by IdeaFirst Company na pag-aari nina Perci Intalan at Jun Lana.

Sina Kokoy de Santos bilang si Gavreel, Adrianna So sa papel na Pearl at Elijah Canlas as Cairo ang bida sa BL (Boys Love) mula sa direksyon ni Ivan Andrew Payawal.

Sa pagtatapos ng episode 8 ng Game Boys nitong nakaraang linggo ay binabati ni direk Perci ang buong cast and crew dahil matagumpay itong natapos with 5 million views at magagandang review.

Biglang nag-flashback si PMI (tawag kay direk Perci) na hawig ang kuwento ng buhay niya kay Cairo na hindi pa alam ng pamilya na isa siyang gay.

Narito ang post ni direk Perci sa kanyang Facebook page: “For weeks I haven’t posted much on my own socmed (social media) because I was too exhausted to talk about what’s happening around us right now.

“But then we reached Gameboys episode 8. I lost count of how many shows I’ve produced, but this show is so close to my heart and this one episode hit me really hard. As if I am a viewer and not the producer.

“I never came out to my parents, you see up to the day they died. And I say this with no regret.

“As my friends and even siblings know, I came out late. In hindsight, maybe that really was the right time. Although back then, it was a really big deal for me. I was based in HK, so I had to fly home to tell my siblings and my close friends.

“Then I wondered how I should tell my parents. They’re 45 years older than me so the generation gap was always so wide. I don’t recall how or why I’m sure I had alone time with them but the trip ended and they took me to the airport and I went back to HK without telling them.

“I do remember the embrace before I entered the airport. It was as tight as every embrace they gave me each time I would fly off.

“And that’s why this episode hit me hard. Bless them both because my parents, both born in 1927 and perhaps as old school they get well, they raised me knowing I was indeed loved no matter what.

“No matter if my grades were bad or I stayed out late or if I drained that last drop of gas from the car, they made me feel loved always. So even if at first I wondered if I chickened out of telling them, I later realized, it didn’t matter to them.

“Years later, I met Jun and I came home for good and I told them Jun and I would be living together they never asked why. On their wedding anniversaries, I would bring Jun and they just accepted that he and I were together.

“When my Dad passed away, I had many nights staying with him in the hospital and had a chance to say goodbye the night before he passed. I actually never felt I had to say sorry. I said thank you. I said I love you, I said goodbye.

“When my Mom passed, it was the same way too. I visit their graves whenever I can just to feel that happy feeling of being with them, but I had nothing I regretted not saying.

“Why am I sharing this? I feel so fortunate to be part of a show that was able to talk about many powerful truths that resonate with so many people around the world.

“And for me, now a parent myself, the most powerful one is this: the goal is not just to raise your kids in an environment where it’s safe for them to be themselves and come out, the goal is to make them feel that you will always love them even if they never do come out to you.

“When you have so much love, there really are no words necessary. Love comes with understanding and acceptance and as that line from a movie goes: love means never having to say you’re sorry.

“To all parents of LGBTQ kids, or any parent for that matter, may we all give our children so much love at such a surplus that they will learn to love themselves too. No matter what.

“Congratulations Gameboys team, I cannot be prouder of you for what this episode has achieved.”

Ikinasal sina direk Perci at Direk Jun sa Central Park, New York City noong 2013 dahil legal doon ang same sex marriage.