Philippines ‘Jesus’ drag queen arrested for obscenity
Philippines drag queen was arrested on Wednesday over their performance as Jesus Christ reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
Christian groups filed criminal complaints in July over a video of Pura Luka Vega’s performance.
Amadeus Fernando Pagente, 33, faces up to 12 years in prison under the country’s obscenity laws.
Roman Catholicism is practiced by nearly 80% of Filipinos.
A copy of the arrest warrant shared by Manila police describes Pagente’s offense as “immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions, and indecent shows”.
A bearded Pagente dressed as Jesus Christ performs a rock version of the Lord’s Prayer in Tagalog. The post has since been removed.
Protestant church leaders from the Philippines for Jesus Movement filed the first criminal complaint with the Manila Prosecutor’s Office at the end of July. In August, Nazarene Brotherhood, a Catholic organization, filed a second complaint.
Manila, the capital of the Philippines, has also declared Pagente as a “persona non grata”, a Latin phrase that means “unwelcome”.
As performers who impersonate singers and actresses while delivering punchlines in stand-up shows, drag queens in the Philippines have been popular for decades.
Pagente, however, represents a new generation of drag queens who use their performances to advocate for their causes.