I think you have to understand that the Businesses and Politicians of the Philippines are heavily conservative. The very people who sponsor and fund this franchise are very much traditionalists. So the act of embracing progressive ideals can alienate myself and the franchise from these businessmen and powerful clans. When we alienate the franchise and make it unappealing towards these conservatives, we can lose large swaths of financial support and investors which can be economically detrimental to the franchise. 

I have to act in a way that is beneficial to the franchise since I am its director. Sure if I allow LGBTQ+ members into the pageant, I will be praised as a hero by the LGBTQ+ community, but I also risk getting sacked from my position by the franchise holder, Empire Philippines Holdings, Inc.

The Philippines is also a very religious country. One where the majority of the population are devoted Catholics. Allowing non-biologically female individuals to enter the pageant can be seen as a disgrace by many who may boycott or avoid the pageant altogether.

I know that my opinion is very economic, but that's how franchises and corporations work. We can’t let our own progressive ideals let us make detrimental decisions that can alienate our supporters and viewers, especially with this very religious and conservative country.

If the Philippines were to become more progressive and its businesses more accepting, then allowing LGBTQ+ members into the Miss Universe is a very likely possibility, but as of now, I believe that allowing LGBTQ+ members, transgenders in particular, to participate would be economically and principally detrimental to the Philippine Franchise. 

People nowadays may define their gender and be what they want to be, and if they decide that they are women then they may be able to join the pageant. This would also give more opportunities to this community and would also empower them and allow them to be more recognized which would allow them to grow as a community. They may be able to share their ideas, opinions and views on the world, which we may also learn from and possibly know more than we do. Empowering this community is needed so that the discrimination against them would also be lessened, and this may be a good platform for them as well. This is a risk I am willing to take, especially if we dream about a world where there is peace, we must take action in order to do that also. It would be controversial to religious people, especially in this country since it is a very religious country, but even the Pope says “Who am I to judge?”, and that for me is a sign of acceptance, and we must accept them and this would pave the way for that. 

As the national director of the Miss Universe Philippines franchise, I do believe that LGBTQ+ applicants should not be included at the pageant. Every individual has their own time and place to shine. Wouldn't it be much better for the LGBTQ+ community to succeed and be popularized through their own organization that respects their past and chosen future. It is more than the controversy of human rights but rather about the history, tradition, and rules of the franchise. As more people respect and change for the LGBTQ+ community, I think that it is still important to give biological females their own pageant where they can compete against biological females. There are still differences between those who were born female and those who have and are transitioning. It may be considered as an advantage or a disadvantage which may affect the overall scoring of the pageant.

It is acceptance and respect that everyone desires, the LGBTQ+ community should be given their own stage and opportunity to show their beauty and intelligence.

They should be allowed to join, in my opinion. Why not? The most common objections against transgender women are in sporting competitions, where they are alleged to have physical advantages. In a pageant, this isn't an issue. It depends on the standards used to evaluate pageant contestants. If the question is, "Who has the largest uterus?" " or "Whose Adam's apple is the biggest?" No, transgender and cisgender women should not compete in the same beauty contest. There is no need to distinguish between transgender and cisgender women if the criteria include achievements, physical attractiveness, intelligence, poise, general knowledge, interpersonal skills, talents, and so forth. Women that identify as transgender are still women. Pageants such as Miss Universe should welcome transgender women. These pageants are mostly focused on appearance, and transgender women can certainly be stunning. If you're going to give the biological sex argument, these pageants have nothing to do with biology.

Representation is important because it allows minorities to feel valued and to freely express their thoughts. This fosters a collaborative environment in which everyone is appreciated and ideas are exchanged.

As the national director of the Miss Universe Philippines franchise, I would not allow LGBTQ+ members to join the yearly much awaited pageant. The pageant requires the contestants to be biologically female, the culture should be respected and preserved. Some may ask that given the goal of Miss Universe is to showcase confidence and independence of women, how can being transgender affect its credibility? Can’t transgenders empower themselves as women too? Sure transgenders are also women but considering that they are not biologically born as a female, they have their own ways and own specific pageant category to spread their message. Although the LGBTQ+ did not choose their own sexuality, it is still unfair for those who are naturally born as female. The indignation that the participants will feel is different given if they lost to a transgender contestant in their own women’s category. Don’t get me wrong, I will reiterate that transgenders ARE indeed women but we should consider that there is a boundary between heart and natural physiology; a transgender is a woman but unfortunately not a biological female.

I don’t despise transgenders nor am opposed to women empowerment, I just believe that individuals have their own platforms to show who they really are. I do believe that all sexualities and genders should be treated equally but I choose to preserve the tradition and exclusivity of the Miss Universe franchise of having participants that are biologically born as female. Transgenders are women but I will not allow them to participate in the pageant.

I understand that it is a risky decision to make as the Philippines is a Catholic nation that is very much conservative. Undeniably, backlash will come my way and of course towards the transgender applicants as well. Yes, it’s a given that the choice will spark some controversy, but I think, more than just controversy, it could also start conversations among the people. You need to see that including transgender applicants is way deeper than you might think. Imagine if you were a transgender woman hearing about transgender women being accepted to be involved in the Miss Universe pagaent. Wouldn’t that give you at least a sliver of hope that maybe you’d have a better chance of being accepted by your family, friends, coworkers, etc? Maybe I’m far off, but that’s the way I see it. 

It makes me sick when people say that transgender women shouldn’t be allowed in the Miss Universe pageant and that they should have their own pageant instead. Sure, there’s a good chance that it can still be pretty empowering, but really? That’s just like saying “You don’t belong here because you’re nothing like us.” Do you really think transgender women undergo the procedure wanting to be called a transgender? No, of course not. They want to be officially recognized and labeled as a woman because they think, feel and act just like a woman. In my opinion, it’s offensive and discriminatory to give the transgender women their own category. It reminds of the time when the Grammy’s had an “Urban” category to describe music of black origin. 

Besides, why wouldn’t you include transgender women in a competition for women? So what if they’re not “real” women? The pageant is not a competition of “who the best biological woman is” in the first place. It’s a contest of beauty and intelligence. The only time I’d probably disqualify the applicant is if they deliberately improved their looks through multiple plastic surgery procedures.  

Once again, I believe that LGBTQ+ applicants, including transgender, should be allowed to compete in the pageant. I know nothing about the transgender experience but I can only imagine the impact that this decision will make on the lives of the LGBTQ+ community; the lives of those who have been fighting for acceptance every single day. Without a doubt it is a controversial decision and they could face backlash, but is that really a reason to back down or stop?

I think the common misconception about Miss Universe is that, it’s solely about the purity and the beauty of women. This would mean that transwomen would be automatically not allowed, as they aren’t “pure” women. The MU pageant is seen as this elegant and exclusive pageant. But the whole point of the Miss Universe isn’t solely about purity and beauty.

The Miss Universe Organization, the org that runs these pageants, describes themselves as: “global, inclusive organization that celebrates women of all cultures and backgrounds and empowers them to realize their goals through experiences that build self- confidence and create opportunities for success” (direct quote from their website). I don’t think an inclusive organization would host a pageant that is “exclusive”.

If it were really exclusive, then past LGBTQ+ contestants, including trans, in the Miss Universe wouldn’t exist. But this isn’t the case, since there has been cases of LGBTQ+ contestants in Miss Universe. Emphasis on Miss Universe, as in the main pageant, which requires contestants to win at their respective country’s Miss Universe pageant.

The whole point of the Miss Universe pageants is to empower women, and in some way, combat misogyny. By not allowing LGBTQ+ applicants to participate, you would be basically committing an act of homophobia and transphobia, which isn’t any better than misogyny. The whole point of the pageant is contradicted when you exclude women who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.