‘The gays are winning’: Filipinos celebrate Beatrice Luigi Gomez’s Miss Universe PH 2021 win

Filipinos online rejoiced after Cebu City’s Beatrice Luigi Gomez was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2021 on Thursday, September 30.

Bea competed in the coronation night held in Panglao, Bohol, besting 27 other candidates. She will be representing the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2021 pageant, which will be held in Israel in December.

Bea will be the first openly queer beauty queen to represent the Philippines in the pageant. For fans, her win is also a win for the LGBTQ+ community.

Our new Miss Universe Philippines is a woman of substance and a proud member of the #LGBT community 🏳️‍🌈

Congratulations, Beatrice Luigi Gomez. The universe will soon be yours 💖#MissUniversePhilippines #MissUniversePhilippines2021 #MUPH2021Coronation https://t.co/Dn9UTcoHmz pic.twitter.com/jewyWxxMhj

— 🏳️‍🌈 Remus Mark Carballo 🏳️‍🌈 (@javalavamanila) September 30, 2021

The new Miss Universe Philippines is a proud LGBTQIA+ member. 🏳️‍🌈

The gays are literally winning tonight! Congratulations Beatrice Luigi Gomez of Cebu City! 🇵🇭👑#MissUniversePhilippines2021 #MUPH2021Coronation pic.twitter.com/eWj7hn7ruS

— jaecee lim (@jaeceelim) September 30, 2021

#MissUniversePhilippines2021 is Bea Luigi Gomez from Cebu City. Our first openly gay Miss Universe Philippines candidate.

— Kim Bennet Manalo 🎀 (@KBManalo) September 30, 2021

Our first openly LGBTQIA+ Miss Universe Philippines Representative. Gorgeous, smart, and brave.

You will represent us well in Miss Universe 2021. 🏳️‍🌈❤️🇵🇭#MissUniversePhilippines2021 pic.twitter.com/1k3TyZMWsi

— Ade (@amiloride_) September 30, 2021

Bea had earlier opened about about criticism she’d gotten for being herself after she won the Binibining Cebu pageant.

“When people condemn me because they say it is not what it says in the Bible, somehow I’m always reminded that being able to say who I am on stage in front of thousands of people was what God wanted me to do,” Bea said in an Instagram post in 2020.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beatrice Luigi Gomez (@beatriceluigigmz)

On Twitter, Filipinos celebrated her being “not your typical pageant candidate.”

Beatrice Luigi Gomez

Has a tattoo
Has a girlfriend
A proud member of the LGBTQIA+

Not your typical pageant candidate? Yes because she is a QUEEN and is meant to take home the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 crown! 👸

— Jasper Ruby Vijar (@JapDaniels) September 30, 2021

https://twitter.com/interludeseok/status/1443581077977661454

https://twitter.com/catesblanket_/status/1443579590996205587?s=21

Check out more tweets here:

MUPH 2021 – Curated tweets by rapplerdotcom

Congratulations to Bea and all the queens! – Rappler.com