MANILA, Philippines – Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez has had enough of people questioning her sexuality, emphasizing that she’s long been championing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community even before she entered pageantry.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, July 1, Gomez marked the end of the Pride Month by penning an open letter to those who “questioned [her] representation of the LGBTQIA+ community during Miss Universe 2021.”
In September 2021, Gomez made history as the first openly-queer beauty queen to win the Miss Universe Philippines crown. At the time, Gomez was in a relationship with long-time girlfriend Kate Jagdon; they announced their split in November 2021. In February 2022, Gomez was rumored to be in a relationship with John Odin.
While many questioned why she is no longer dating someone from the same gender, Gomez emphasized that she is still part of the community, sharing that she identifies as pansexual.
“Yes I am with someone now who is from the opposite sex but that doesn’t change who I am and what I stand for,” she wrote. “I am pansexual, which means I have no regard for a person’s gender, which technically makes me bisexual as I can be with either sexes.”
The beauty queen went on that while she’s “proud of the breakthrough” she provided by being openly gay on a public platform, she’s “[vexed]” that there are people who questioned her sexuality and accused her of calling herself queer only to “hype up [her] reign.”
Gomez stressed that she has been rallying for LGBTQ+ rights since experiencing discrimination in 2015, and it has been her ongoing advocacy even before she decided to join a national beauty pageant.
Given her experiences with bullying, discrimination, and harassment, Gomez opened up that embracing her sexuality wasn’t an easy journey for her. She added that it would have been “much easier for [her] to just stay in the closet and have everyone’s support.”
“But there I was continuing the fight as my platform got bigger,” she said.
The beauty queen from Cebu also pointed out that during her pageant stints, she chose to focus on promoting social work and youth development as her advocacies since she knew that even if “people behind rally behind [her] as the ‘gay, unconventional beauty queen’ that is not the only thing that defines [her] and [her] causes.”
She also reiterated that being a member of the LGBTQ+ community “has no bearing [on] the judging [of] Miss Universe candidates,” and that she wasn’t active on social media enough to be considered a queerbaiter.
Despite these accusations, Gomez affirmed that she will continue to stand up for the LGBTQ+ community.
“I have seen how my representation paved the way especially for our young dreamers to be confident of themselves and for them to know that there is a place for them when they truly embrace their authentic selves,” she said.
Ending her post, she wrote: “You can continue to judge me. I know my truth and I will continue to celebrate Pride Month every year and remember the wins that I’ve had along with the entire LGBTQIA+ community.”
Fellow beauty queens such as Maureen Wroblewitz, Krishnah Gravidez, Michelle Dee, Angelique Manto, and Gracielle Lehmann wrote messages of support on Gomez’s post.
Gomez finished in the Top 5 of the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 competition – the highest placement for a Filipina candidate since Catriona Gray won the crown in 2018. – Rappler.com