Ian Veneracion on daughter’s coming out: ‘Don’t ever be apologetic about it’

MANILA, Philippines – Deirdre Veneracion may have been nervous about coming out to her dad, actor Ian Veneracion, when she was 16 years old, but she apparently had nothing to worry about.

In a heartwarming interview on Magandang Buhay, Ian shared the story of how his only daughter, who they call Dids, came out as a lesbian to him when she was 16 years old.

He recalled how Dids approached him near tears, and told him, “I need to tell you something.”

“Tapos sabi niya, ‘I like girls.’ Tapos sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Me also, I like girls’ (Then she said ‘I like girls.’ Then I told her, ‘Me also, I like girls’),” Ian said.

“Sabi ko (I said) ‘Yes, just don’t ever be apologetic about it, even to me,'” he added. “Sabi ko, ‘You can be whoever you wanna be and I have full support.'”

He told a surprised Dids then that he always knew about her sexuality, telling her “Bata ka pa, ang macho mo na (You’ve been boyish since you were a child).”

“Nakakapanghinayang lang, isa lang ‘yung buhay natin, tapos ‘pag nabuhay ka, tapos ano pa, parang apologetic ka pa sa sarili mo, hindi mailabas ang pagkatao mo, parang what a waste of life,” Ian said later on.

(It’s just a shame, we only have one life, and as you’re living it, you’re apologetic of yourself, you can’t be your true self. It’s like a waste of a life.)

Ian Veneracion’s wife, Pam Gallardo, is also as supportive.

Ian recalled that when he floated the idea of Dids having a girlfriend to Pam, she said, “Kung saan siya masaya, masaya ako (When she is happy, I’m happy).”

Ian and Pam have been married since 1997. They have two other kids, Duccio and Draco. – Rappler.com