‘Stop racism,’ #RespectLisa trend as Blackpink member faces racist comments anew

Fans of Blackpink’s Lisa took to social media Tuesday to lash out against the hateful and racist comments directed to the star, following the success of the K-Pop girl group’s livestream concert “The Show” on Sunday.

The controversy started when screenshots of private group chats showing comments against Lisa went viral on Twitter.

“I really think about what Lisa did to get that much value,” said one comment. “I don’t know if she slept or make out [sic] with somebody but there is something wrong.”

The comment went on to include claims and tirades against Thailand in general. “Lisa is Thai. I don’t wanna be racist, but Thailand is such a sh*tty country,” it said.

“They are number one in woman trafficking, and I also think Lisa is not a virgin because … they are selling the virginity of the kids who [just] reached [adolescence] ... I think in that way she don’t [sic] have anything to lose.”

To counter the negative comments, fans of Lisa and OT4 (the term for Blackpink fans who love all four members equally) flooded the timelines with messages in defense of the singer.

The hashtag #RespectLisa quickly became the Top 1 trend in the Philippines, along with the phrases “stop racism,” “say no to racism,” and “we love you Lisa.”

Lisa (born Pranpriya Manoban), who hails from Thailand, has gotten similar comments in 2019 from K-Pop fans who seem to take issue with the fact that she is the only non-Korean member of Blackpink.

The backlash caused an outpouring of support as well, making Lisa the most-followed K-Pop artist on social media after the incident. – RC, GMA News