Pura Luka Vega
Born
Amadeus Fernando Pagente[1]

(1990-02-27) February 27, 1990
NationalityFilipino
OccupationDrag artist
Years active2017–
Known forDrag Den season 1 contestant
Notable workAma Namin drag performance (2023)

Amadeus Fernando Pagente (born February 27, 1990), better known by their stage name Pura Luka Vega, is a Filipino drag artist. They were a Drag Den contestant. In 2023, they came into public attention for a drag performance dressed as Jesus Christ to the tune of a remix of Ama Namin, the Tagalog language version of the Lord's Prayer.

Early life and education

They were born as Amadeus Fernando Pagente to a Filipino mother and a British father. They grew up in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte. In high school, they began to become aware of their queer identity but did not feel any strong attraction towards any specific sex so they had a typical experience for a teenager. Luka would move to Manila to attend the Philippine Normal University (PNU), where they took up education as their undergraduate course.[2]

After graduating from PNU, they would return to Dipolog where they taught for four years. They would return to Manila to study at the De La Salle University (DLSU) to pursue a master's degree.[2]

Drag career

Early years and style

Luka exposure to drag began when they were attending college in Manila. They explored their gender by doing female impersonations and reading children's books to kids.[2]

Luka started doing drag after they first saw a female cosplayer dressed up as the Joker. A year later they joined a competition which they won while dressing up as Marie Antoinette with a severed head – they consider this event as their debut in drag.[2] Their would join the Nectar Nightclub Drag Cartel in October 2017. Luka initially did not have a beard, but started sporting one to challenge the conventional drag standards.[3]

Luka wears a beard and is not restricted to just one gender.[3] They also believe in the stance that "drag is political", that practicing artform is inherently expressing a political statement.[4]

Origin of drag name

The drag name "Pura Luka Vega" as their name when performing as a drag artist came from the following:[5]

  • "Pura" comes from the name of beauty queen Pura Villanueva Kalaw.
  • Luka may have came from Tagalog word luka-luka which means crazy.
  • Vega is a reference to the name of singer Suzanne Vega who also performed a song named "Luka".

Drag Den

Luka would join Drag Den as of one of the eight contestants for season 1 in late 2022.[6] They finished last in the competition and was given the consolation prize of "Miss Fortune Award" or "Ranked Last But Still Served" at the end of the series.[7]

Ama Namin remix

In mid-2023, Luka's performance of a rock remix of "Ama Namin" (transl. Our Father) song while in a Jesus-inspired outfit in a bar was subject to controversy.[8][9] Luka claimed that they did the performance as a means to challenge the notion of "praise and worship" and not intended as an act of blasphemy.[8]

Nevertheless, Christian church religious leaders and some members of the Senate condemned the act as blasphemous,[8] while seventeen local government units (Floridablanca, Pampanga;[10] General Santos;[11] Toboso, Negros Occidental;[12] Manila;[13] Bukidnon;[14] Laguna;[15] Cagayan de Oro;[16] Nueva Ecija;[17] Cebu City, Cebu;[18] the Dinagat Islands;[18] Occidental Mindoro;[18] Lucena, Quezon;[19] Bohol;[20] Mandaue, Cebu;[20] Palawan;[21] Oriental Mindoro;[22] and Apalit, Pampanga;[23] in respective order) have declared Luka as a persona non grata.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines saw the performance as "bordering" profanity, blasphemy and sacrilege, iterating its stance that "religious symbols and imagery are not for entertainment purposes".[24] The Philippines for Jesus Movement, a coalition of Christian groups, on their part filed charges against them for alleged violation of the Revised Penal Code and Cybercrime Prevention Act.[25]

Luka has shrugged off the persona non grata declarations and made a drag performance revolving around it. They sang "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift while in Black Nazarene-themed attire. They maintained that the separation of church and state must be upheld.[26]

Luka has since started a fundraiser from their supporters to cover their expenses in their pending legal cases as a result of the controversy.[27]

On October 4, 2023, Luka was arrested by the Manila PNP acting on a complaint by the Hijos del Nazareno. The arrest was regarding their case involving "immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows", in breach of article 201 of the criminal code.[28][29] Human Rights Watch accused Philippine authorities of violating Luka's right to free expression, and called for charges against them to be dropped and for them to be released from custody.[29]

Personal life

Pura Luka Vega does not identify with any gender label, saying that the closest label for themselves is non-binary. They consider themselves as gender nonconforming or gender apathetic.[3] Luka prefers they/them pronouns but uses any.[9]

Luka identifies as a Roman Catholic but "not religious".[8] In Drag Den, they expressed dissent against the idea "that the LGBTQIA+ community will go to hell for being gay" insisting that if "Jesus was alive, he would love everyone".[30]

References

  1. ↑ Tividad, Maria. "Pura Luka Vega also unwelcome in Oriental Mindoro". pna.gov.ph. Philippine News Agency. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The true history of Pura Luka Vega, in their own words". news.abs-cbn.com. October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Enriquez, Em (January 11, 2023). "Pura Luka Vega Is Living Proof That Gender Is a Construct That Needs to Be Broken Down". Preview.ph. Summit Network. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  4. ↑ Lago, Amanda (January 28, 2023). "Can drag be too political? The queens of 'Drag Den' weigh in". Rappler. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  5. ↑ Samonte, Jujiin (December 8, 2022). "Behold Pura Luka Vega, The Blessed Lady Of Drag Den". MEGA. One MEGA Group. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  6. ↑ "'Drag Den PH' names NAIA, Shewarma, Maria Cristina as its Top 3 finalists". GMA News. January 12, 2023. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  7. ↑ Manipon, Roel Hoang (January 29, 2023). "Naia soars to 'Drag Den' supremacy". Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Drag queen: 'Ama Namin' performance meant to challenge notions of praise and worship". CNN Philippines. July 13, 2023. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Cayabyab, Marc Jayson (July 16, 2023). "I'm just human, 'Jesus' drag queen tells senators". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  10. ↑ Flora, Ian (July 25, 2023). "'Ama Namin' drag performer persona non grata in Floridablaca". SunStar. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  11. ↑ Llemit, Ralph Lawrence (July 22, 2023). "GenSan declares 'Ama Namin' drag performer persona non grata". SunStar. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  12. ↑ Ranara, John Patrick (August 3, 2023). "Negros Occidental town becomes third municipality to declare Pura Luka Vega as persona non grata". Philstar Life. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ Ong, Ghio (August 10, 2023). "Manila city council declares drag artist persona non grata". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  14. ↑ Ermac, Bonita (August 11, 2023). "Bukidnon Sangguniang Panlalawigan declares Pura Luka Vega persona non grata". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Drag artist Pura Luka Vega declared persona non grata in Laguna". ABS-CBN News. August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  16. ↑ Rosete, Franck Dick (August 14, 2023). "Cagayan de Oro City declares Pura Luka Vega persona non grata". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Nueva Ecija declares drag queen 'persona non grata' over offensive video". Politiko (Central Luzon). August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 Perez, Annie; Datu, Dennis (August 17, 2023). "Pura Luka Vega persona non grata in Cebu, Dinagat, Occ. Mindoro". ABS-CBN.
  19. ↑ Estacio, Danny (August 22, 2023). "Lucena City declares drag artist Pura Luka Vega persona non grata". Manila Bulletin.
  20. 1 2 Perez, Annie (August 23, 2023). "Pura Luka Vega also declared persona non grata in Bohol, Mandaue". ABS-CBN.
  21. ↑ Ticke, Geraldford (August 29, 2023). "Palawan declares Pura Luka persona non-grata". Inquirer.net. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  22. ↑ Virola, Madonna (August 30, 2023). "Oriental Mindoro declares Pura Luka Vega persona non grata, too". Inquirer.net. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  23. ↑ Arcellaz, Princess Clea (August 31, 2023). "Apalit declares Pura Luka Vega persona non grata". SunStar Pampanga. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  24. ↑ "CBCP sinabing 'blasphemous' ang viral drag performance ni Pura Luka Vega: That is the prayer taught by Christ himself". Cebu Daily News. Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 15, 2023. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Christian church leaders file raps vs Pura Luka Vega over viral 'Ama Namin' performance". Manila Bulletin. August 1, 2023. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Pura Luka Vega after persona non grata tag, charges: 'Dagdagan niyo pa! Pakialam ko'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  27. ↑ Pasajol, Anne (August 25, 2023). "Pura Luka Vega 'going to court' in September, asks for donations". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Pura Luka Vega arrested in Manila over 'Ama Namin' drag performance". Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  29. 1 2 Thoreson, Ryan (October 5, 2023). "Philippine Drag Artist Arrested for 'Offending Religion'". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  30. ↑ Mallorca, Hannah (January 26, 2023). "'Drag Den PH' queens, creator Rod Singh open up about challenging social norms, self-awareness". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
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