Vice Ganda has backed basketball player Arnold Van Opstal for his comment that homophobia has no place in his sport.

The GlobalPort center stood up for his belief on Saturday after being asked if he's gay by a fan on Instagram.

While he maintained that he's straight, he expressed his support for gay people and criticized his fellow athletes for "not doing enough to address the homophobia in sports."

"Equality comes from all aspects, not just race, and I'm happy to stand up for equality," he said, before explaining that judging someone by their sexual preference is as bad as being racist.

"All homophobes and racists can go f**k themselves," he wrote.

His brave stand drew praise from Vice Ganda, an icon of the LGBTQ+ community in the country. The comedian said it's the first time he heard a Filipino athlete spoke boldly about homophobia.

"Hope everyone including your fellows in your sport sees this post," Vice Ganda said, encouraging further his millions of followers on Instagram to stop judgment and hypocrisy.