On July 17th, social media personality Marlou Arizala, or now commonly addressed as Xander Ford, took to Instagram to announce the ‘riveting’ news that he is now part of the LGBTQ community, identifying himself as bisexual.
The 21-year-old showcased a series of stories in his Instagram as his way of coming out. “I am part of the LBTQ,” Xander declared in his story, clipped with #BISEXUAL, further specifying his sexual orientation, and the all-familiar symbol of the LGBTQ community, a rainbow in the form of an emoji.
He proceeded to post a video on Instagram singing Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, while thanking his friends and fans (if any) for their undying support and acceptance towards his brave decision.
After his little performance, Xander posted a TikTok challenge of himself, featuring his feminine side, as if to bolster his claim of being in the LGBTQ.
Lastly, still unsatisfied with his theatrics, he posted on his Instagram feed “Being one of them is not a Crime,” with the #bahaghari, and, of course, the rainbow emoji.
Hearing all this, it would definitely sound like a wholesome and heartfelt story of someone coming out of the closet. However, that would not be the case for poor ol’ Xander Ford as around mid-June he was accused of rape and physical abuse by his ex-girlfriend, Ysah Cabrejas.
Netizens did not take the news lightly as they rallied throughout different platforms of social media to express their disgust and contempt towards Xander Ford. With the announcement of his bisexuality shortly a month after his ex-girlfriend’s statement, netizens began to think it was coincidental, too coincidental in fact, despite his consistent denial of the accusations being thrown at him.
It is almost impossible to avoid hesitation in the self-disclosure of his gender identity, with the allegations and doubts surrounding him. For all we know, it could potentially be a mere stunt to divert the attention away from the mentioned issue. It would be very much intriguing if someone could shed a light into this vague situation.
One thing, however, is certain—it is not a crime, indeed, to be part of the LGBTQ community, but being both a rapist and a physical abuser might just give you solid time behind bars.
