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Students call USAC candidate’s parody of opponent’s video homophobic

A video surfaced Wednesday showing Ruhi Patil, Bruins United candidate for Financial Supports commissioner, parodying her LET’S ACT! opponent, Erineo Garcia. (Daily Bruin file photo)

By Katie Shepherd

April 30, 2015 6:16 p.m.

Some students and LET’S ACT! supporters are calling a video that surfaced Wednesday homophobic because it showed a Bruins United candidate parodying her opponent’s campaign video.

Ruhi Patil, a Bruins United candidate for Undergraduate Students Association Council Financial Supports commissioner, danced in the video, mimicking her opponent’s choreographed dance from a promotional recording encouraging students to vote for him and his slate.

LET’S ACT! candidate Erineo Garcia, who identifies as queer, is the only other candidate for the position.

Many slate supporters shared Garcia’s video on Facebook last week. The controversial parody shows Patil wearing feminine clothing and dancing to the same song used in Garcia’s campaign video.

Garcia said he felt the recording of Patil targeted him and his slate in a personal way.

“I think it’s very homophobic in relation to my dancing and in relation to my clothing,” Garcia said.

Patil said she does not think the video is homophobic, but because some people perceive it to be she said she has to take responsibility for the negative interpretation of the video. She apologized for offending students.

“I hope that I can be judged holistically as a candidate,” she said. “This video is neither an accurate representation of me or the Bruins United candidates.”

Chris Cabrera, director of Queer Alliance, a member of LET’S ACT! and a fifth-year political science student, said he thought the video was homophobic even if it wasn’t Patil’s intention.

“She was mocking (Garcia’s) mannerisms and mocking his femininity,” he said. “That’s something people in the (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community get bullied for in school constantly.”

Voting for the USAC election will end Friday afternoon.

Contributing reports by Sylvia Lutze, Bruin contributor.

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