Ayn Bernos has a message to everybody on body positivity: 'I will never apologize for existing this way'

TikTok sensation Rousanne "Ayn" Bernos has been facing negative comments after joining the Miss Universe Philippines pageant despite her short stature.

The aspiring beauty queen, who stands at 5-foot-3, previously said that she joined the pageant not because she thinks she is the "beauty standard" but because representation matters.

On the eve of the coronation, Ayn has another message of encouragement to others who may be feeling insecure about their body and other physical traits.

"We really need to stop calling our features 'flaws,'" she said on Twitter, sharing a photo of her wearing a statement shirt with the words "embrace your flaws" and "what flaws?"

"When I embrace my thick thighs, my round face, my arms; my skin color, I am not embracing 'flaws.' I am embracing things that are natural to me. They're not wrong at all. They're not problems," she added.

So when people call me Eugene Domingo for our similar face shape, or Hidilyn Diaz for my arms, I do not take them as insults. What I share with them are not flaws. They are features of strong, beautiful Filipina women, and I will never apologize for existing this way. ????

— Ayn Bernos (@aynbernos) September 29, 2021

Ayn said she designed the shirt when someone body-shamed her for having a flat chest. She also came up with the words herself.

The back of the shirt contains another message: "that's really cute of you to shame me for something I'm not ashamed of."

"So when people call me Eugene Domingo for our similar face shape, or Hidilyn Diaz for my arms, I do not take them as insults," Ayn said.

"What I share with them are not flaws. They are features of strong, beautiful Filipina women, and I will never apologize for existing this way," she added.

The Miss Universe Philippines 2021 coronation night will be on Thursday. Ayn is one of the favorites among voters, landing in the top 3 of the Headshot and Video Introduction challenges.

—MGP, GMA News