Butthurt? LGBTQ community turn on Melvin Cortez after dropping Bestie; Accused of religious psychosis amid losing TIA Partnership

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Since renouncing his affiliation with and promotion of the LGBTQ community and devoting his life to Christ, Melvin Cortez, the former trans influencer widely known as “La Bestie”, has faced wide and harsh criticism from the very LGBTQ community he previously represented as its poster child. His social media has been flooded with comments ranging from vulgarities to suggestions that he is experiencing “religious psychosis”.

In an emotional live video, Cortez revealed that because of his decision to return to his religion he has also had to part ways with TIA Belize, a small, obscure marketing agency in San Pedro best known for its partnership with Bestie.

In a statement confirming the split to its 400 followers on social media, TIA announced: “…effective immediately, La Bestie – Melvin Cortez is no longer affiliated with TIA Belize Talent Management.”

The split comes just three months after Cortez signed a much hyped marketing deal with TIA Belize, which saw the persona “Bestie” hosting several marketing campaigns for the company, including an Easter Sunday event marketed for children ages 5-13 with a promotion for “free hot dogs for the first 50 kids”.

In his somber and reflective live video, Cortez noted one moment that stuck with him. He detailed a story in which he was doing a promotion as Bestie at a school and a child approached him and asked whether they should refer to him as “sir or miss?” He said that moment filled him with guilt and said no child should ever have to question such a thing. In his earlier announcements, Cortez has previously said he felt he was “being used as a tool for the enemy” and said he no longer wished to participate in promoting the LGBTQ community, especially because many of his followers are young, impressionable children.

Cortez’s Friday night live video came in response to an attack from another well known homosexual personality, Giles Ysaguirre. In response to Cortez’s announcement and the press coverage which followed, Ysaguirre released an edited snippet of voice note from Cortez, in which he appeared to suggest he would still continue his lifestyle secretly while still participating in the Church. Cortez later clarified the context of the statement by playing the entirety of the voice clip, which expounded on the fact that many Christians live with such guilt secretly.

Cortez also shared a video clip of former friends and supporters in the LGBTQ community, mocking, ridiculing and tearing him down for his renewed faith and sense of purpose. In his live video, Cortez detailed how the transgender lifestyle no longer fulfilled him and brought him happiness. He also shared, that in his conversations with other trans persons in Belize, many of them have expressed their guilt and frustration with the lifestyle but feel trapped and don’t know how to return to their faith.

Cortez’s transition from transgender to man of faith has raised much controversy among the community he once represented and raises several questions about contemporary Belizean society. How was Bestie so easily accepted, supported and promoted at the highest levels on social media and national television, very visibly, especially during Pride Month but somehow face more scrutiny and resistance for turning to Christ? What does it say about the current Belize we live in and raise our children?

The post Butthurt? LGBTQ community turn on Melvin Cortez after dropping Bestie; Accused of religious psychosis amid losing TIA Partnership appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.