Beatrice Gomez on winning Miss Universe Philippines 2021 as ‘dark horse’: I believed in myself

Last week, Beatrice Gomez of Cebu City made history as the first openly-bisexual beauty queen to be crowned Miss Universe Philippines despite being considered the “Dark Horse” of the competition.

In an interview with GMA-7’s “Unang Hirit,” Bea shared that she never lost faith in herself even when her name was the last to be called among the Top 10.

“I believed in myself naman because, when I perform, I always give my best,” she said.

“So medyo confident po ako na talagang makakapasok ako because I know na binigay ko po yung lahat,” she added.

As a member of the LGBTQIA+, Beatrice added that she considers her win as a “breakthrough” for the Philippine pageant scene.

“It’s a breakthrough, especially in our country because we're conservative and in the pageantry scene, its not all the time — I know there are girls who joined pero hindi sila open kasi they are afraid to be criticized. I think it’s time that we learned to accept people from our community because were here to spread positivity and love,” she continued.

Beatrice’s Miss Universe Philippines win is also considered a win for the LGBTQIA+.

Just before her coronation, Beatrice confidently said the Philippines was ready to send a member of the LGBTQIA+ to the global Miss Universe pageant.

She also talked about her six-year relationship with her girlfriend, Kate Jagdon, during the competition’s preliminary Interview Challenge.

Apart from the Miss Universe Philippines title, Beatrice also won Best in Swimsuit, Best in Evening Gown and several other special awards. — Margaret Claire Layug/LA, GMA News