It’s that time of the year again. Pageant fans, the time to crown the next Miss Universe is almost upon us. But first, the beauty queens will have to claim their spot among the top 16 in the upcoming semifinals. Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez is gearing for wins. How do you think our openly bisexual queen will fare?
The preliminary competition for the 70th Miss Universe will be held on Dec. 11 at 1 a.m. Philippine Standard Time. Here, the contestants will be showcasing their evening gowns and swimsuits. It will be quickly followed by the National Costume Show at 3:30 a.m. Both events will be streaming on the official Miss Universe YouTube channel and on the Lazada app if you’re tuning in from the Philippines. If you’re planning to watch it live, we suggest taking a nap beforehand.
The semifinals will decide which among the 80 queens have made it to the top 16 and are still in the running to take home the crown at the finale on Dec. 13. Part of the votes will be coming from the judges (which includes actress Marian Rivera) and the rest will be from audience votes through the pageant’s website.
Luckily, things look bright for Gomez; it seems that she has become one of the crowd favorites even before the competition. Pageant website Missosology listed her as one of the candidates who has shown “great potential” after catching the eyes of pageant experts.
Should Gomez win the crown, what advocacy will she focus on and how does she plan to be a beauty queen from and for the LGBTQIA+ community? In a recent interview with Boy Abunda, Gomez said, “If I ever achieved the title this coming December, one thing I would want to accomplish is to continue my advocacy on promoting the social welfare of the children. And that’s one thing I want to expand during my reign.” She has previously opened up about growing up in a broken family and how it pushed her to advocate for youth empowerment towards children in conflict with the law and victims of armed conflict.
When asked by Abunda what she would do if she ends up with a homophobic roomate during the pageant, she answered, “I will show her that I’m not a threat. I’m not a harm. I would tell her my own story and I would make her appreciate all the works I’ve done. And most especially, I would tell her that I am the first LGBTQIA+ member to represent our country and it is something huge. It is something that our country is beginning to embrace, and the rest of the world as well. Perhaps, her as well.” She has also previously hinted on Instagram that she’s nonbinary.
We wish that these two topics that she’s really passionate about were given the proper spotlight in her Miss Universe introduction video. Hopefully, we’ll get to hear more from Gomez in the remaining legs of the competition.
If the Miss Universe Philippines pageant is anything to go by, we’re positive that she’ll be catching a lot of attention in the preliminaries. In the national pageant, she racked up special awards and showcased a powerful walk. She was named Best in Swimsuit after strutting in a red one-piece by Albert Andrada. She also won the title of Best in Evening Gown after she wowed in a blue crystal-studded dress by Furne One Amato. Her stunning bakunawa-inspired gown was also much talked about.
And perhaps most importantly, her answer during the Q and A was sincere and positive. Asked what she would do if she became “sad and uninspired” during her Miss Philippines 2021 reign, she said she would not give up and rise to the challenge. (Incidentally, her long-time girlfriend Kate Jagdon announced their breakup last Nov. 23.)
Do you think she has what it takes to be the next Miss Universe?
Photo courtesy of Beatrice Luigi Gomez’s Instagram account
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