Aside from that, the second reason would be the fact that living in a society requires us to set boundaries that should not be crossed. Aside from what was previously said, caving into the pressure of external forces makes the management and organization look vulnerable. If we really were so weak as to follow the demands of a loud minority it would show this loud minority can get away with anything if they screamed loud enough. Plus, there is always a solution to this screaming raven. We are a business after all. 

Anyway, the third reason is the fact that as a director of a well-known franchise, I want to make as much money as possible, we are still a business after all. (Oh boy can’t wait to be bashed for this one.) Making a separate franchise to appeal to this loud minority will definitely solve the issue, however, this would be considered, middle-grounding this problem. However, if this third section falls into that consideration feel free to ignore it and pay attention to the first two. Anyway, by creating a separate pageant it would appeal to the LGBTQIA+ while not interrupting or disturbing the regular pageants. It is always an available option to see if this venture will become popular or if the loud minority really was a minority and it fails after a few years… or months.

Finally, consider this, aside from bringing up the “inclusion and good-will” argument, consider that what we're seeing now is more than simply allowing LGBTQIA+ competitors to compete in Miss Universe Philippines; it's a complete rewrite of the rules, a disregard for biology, and, as a result, the end of the nuclear family, as well as a departure from religious and moral standards. More so especially because this is a Philippine franchise/branch, you know how conservative we are?

- What Is Gender Dysphoria? (2013). Psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria#:~:text=Gender%20dysphoria%3A%20A%20concept%20designated,gender%20diverse%20people%20experience%20dysphoria.

‌- Shermer, M. (2013). The Left’s War on Science. Scientific American, 308(2), 76–76. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0213-76 

- Mcleod, S. (2014). Biological Theories of Gender | Simply Psychology. Simplypsychology.org. https://www.simplypsychology.org/gender-biology.html

Many may disagree because of the fact that allowing LGBTQ+ contestants to join would surely generate bias from the judges and even disdain from the other participants who are jealous. It is true that it will generate controversy because of how corporations and companies will be biased toward LGBTQ+ members just so that they can make money from society. The problem with LGBTQ+ members joining Miss Universe is the system that constructs this social schema. The competition will surely lose sponsors as well when the LGBTQ+ are allowed to join but it is important to remember that this competition isn’t for these people. It is entertainment and it is a celebration that embraces feminine concepts. The competition isn't for the audience, it is for the women who compete and strive to be the best version of themselves. Others may say that because of this Miss Universe will eventually crumble because of the loss of sponsors and supporters but it will survive because Miss Universe isn’t just a grandiose event, it is a concept that will continue to thrive as long as women have the courage and confidence to be their best.

The problem isn’t society nor the people, the problem is the system that we are trapped in. The LGBTQ+ must be allowed so that they can represent themselves because deep down they are competing for themselves and just for themselves, they are not competing to get praises from people. As long as they live by and celebrate femininity, as long as they strive to be someone to be looked up to by people, they are allowed to join the Miss Universe. 

Even if someone changes their gender or label, it does not change the fact that biologically born males are built differently in terms of their physiques compared to women who are biologically born females. 

Now say Biology didn’t matter, it does, but let’s say it didn’t. Why would there be a need to allow LGBTQ+ members to join Miss Universe? People who are part of the LGBTQ+ community are already leading the societal and digital world as they are, so there is no reason for them to be recognized at a place that is held for biological born women. I say this because Miss Universe gives women a chance to prove that they are more than beautiful possessions to be looked at, because how they answer the questions would also matter. Besides, the LGBTQ+ community already have their own beauty pageants such as Mr. Gay World or Miss F Universe. Miss Universe on the other hand is a platform for women to become national icons or for them to become celebrities in the future in their own right. Miss Universe is also a good chance for the respective countries of the participants to be represented in a good way, not a platform on proving a point that gender traditions and barriers were broken down simply because one changed their gender. 

For one thing, Miss Universe is for women. The nature of a woman is a biological fact that cannot be changed. Women have facial features, bone structure, body types, etc, although it is fine to call yourself a woman, there are somethings that cannot be changed. The purpose of Miss Universe itself is to empower women; It is an event that showcases the brilliance, personality, and intelligence of a woman. Having the LGBT compete may undermine the reason for what it represents. (Aside from capitalism). It would mean for the event to have two different causes, rather than focus on one stronger cause. 

Instead it would be better to create an entirely different competition dedicated to the lgbt rather than simply shoehorning them into something that already exists with it’s purpose.

What would the purpose be of having the LGBT community participate?  I understand that people want Miss Universe to be more inclusive, and that they want the LGBT community to be better represented, however simply having a member of the LGBT cannot do that. The issue I see here is that we would be directly comparing a woman and a member of the lgbt in the process, even if it wasn’t the intention. If a member of the LGBT community were to win, it would send a message similar to “Member of the LGBT community wins Miss Universe Beauty pageant.” Doing that however may only damage the reputation of the LGBT even more. By pointing out  this specific instance or occurrence, it ultimately weakens the concept of LGBT rights as it makes it seem contrary to the status quo. By making a big deal about their win, it makes it seem like a member of the LGBT winning is something that isn’t normal or possible when it should be the norm.

The Miss Universe pageant alone doesn’t have this problem of weakening women empowerment as it’s a women only competition. They’re really only comparing women to themselves. It is an event where women all around the world with different beliefs, personalities, beauty, and confidence show their best against the best. Adding the LGBT into the mix will change its purpose drastically, and not in a good way.

After all, the Miss Universe Organization claims that they are “a 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.” Allowing LGBTQ+ individuals to compete in the pageant calls for an assessment and possible restructuring of the overall criteria. This means going back to the question of “What is a woman? What is the essence of being a woman?” This can be answered from different perspectives; a biological perspective, a social perspective, etc. This very question was asked to contestant Sushmita Sen back in 1997, to which she answered: “Just being a woman is God’s gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman.” This answer taps into the biological perspective, with the mention of a woman being able to bear and carry a child. If the criteria for the pageant, then, is wholly based on the womens’ biological features then LGBTQ+ applicants cannot compete. However, if the criteria would be intellect, achievements, social engagement, talents, etc. then there is no reason to exclude LGBTQ+ applicants from the pageant.

Assessing where the pageant currently stands on this issue, we must look back to its previous years. In 2018, the candidate for Spain was a transwoman. In 2021, the representative for the Philippines, was Bea Luigi Gomez—an openly proud bisexual. Moreover, Miss Universe fans prefer to categorize the evolution of the pageant throughout the years in different eras, however, this stand will only focus on the Trump Era and the IMG Era. The Trump Era placed big importance on the candidates’ appearance rather than what they stood for. Conventionally attractive winners in lavish gowns were the poster children of the Trump Era. When IMG bought Miss Universe from Trump in around 2015, the criteria shifted to the candidates’ personal advocacies, community projects, communication skills, and empowerment. Thanks to the change, winners like Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray were given a platform. Having said this, we can now see that it wouldn’t be too difficult to recalibrate the pageant, if necessary, to allow LGBTQ+ contestants to participate since the current criteria doesn’t focus too much on biological features anymore.

Because of inevitable backlash from the more traditional audience, the changes will be implemented slowly and the criteria shall be made clear to help the audience understand what the Miss Universe Organization is looking for in its contestants. At the end of the day, if allowing LGBTQ+ applicants to be given a platform in the pageant is one step forward for the community in breaking discrimination and attaining equal rights, representation, and empowerment, then I believe that there is nothing wrong with it at all. 

As I was saying, transgender women are not natural-born women. Yes, the features of a woman and men are not similar and even though the transgenders change these features surgically, the competition might come off unfair to some women and the reputation of the Miss universe may or may not be ruined. Holding a separate competition that centralizes on the LGBTQIA community might seem more logical and a better choice because this competition solely focuses on the assets of a transgender, in this competition, everyone is equal in terms of their sexual identity and features. I believe that modern problems require modern solutions, as our civilization progresses, It changes many different views and stereotypical understandings amongst the people in the society. 

My point here is that most people forget that the LGBTQ+ community is wide and does not only consist of transgenders. The most recent representative of the Philippines in the Miss Universe was an openly-lesbian woman who had a relationship with another woman and she did her job very well without causing any controversy because she represented women in a positive way.

I know some people would make the argument that transwomen are not women. However, once a person fully transitions to their desired gender, they experience different social treatment. Transwomen are initially seen as women until they disclose that they are transgender. Knowing this, I believe that transwomen, at some point in their lives, will experience the same type of social interaction and discrimination that cisgender women have faced their entire lives. This, in turn, debunks the idea that transwomen aren’t women. Yes, they weren’t assigned females at birth, but they experience the suffering of every woman in the world once they fully transition.

At the same time, the argument that transwomen must not be allowed because of their gender transition-related procedures seals the deal that they aren’t “natural women.” However, I would like to remind the people that the women of the Miss Universe are not there for their bodies to be ogled at by viewers; this mentality that only “natural women” can join the Miss Universe is somewhat a form of implicit sexual objectification. We must remember that the essence of the competition is to make women gain a reputable platform to contribute to their chosen desolate communities fully. 

To conclude, Miss Universe is an inclusive beauty pageant. Yes, transwomen may not be assigned female at birth, but they are still women. We must remember that women can come in different shapes, sizes, and sexuality, and transgender is just another category of women. At the end of the day, they are still women in my eyes. As a national director, transgender women are more than welcome to join the Miss Universe. 

When Miss Spain Angela Ponce participated as the first openly trans woman participant in Miss Universe, a renowned international beauty pageant aired for 500 million or more viewers throughout the world, she received a lot of backlash on social media.  

The general public, including some members of the LGBTQ+ community, feels that the competition should be limited to "naturally born" females and that trans women should only compete in trans-specific beauty pageants, such as Thailand's Miss International Queen. 

The acceptance of transgenderism and the rejection of trans people competing in Miss Universe are diametrically opposed.  

People indicate that they are not "genuine women" by recognizing their gender identification yet denying them entrance to cisgender venues. 

Such covert discrimination is problematic because it contradicts these women's gender self-identification (an indication that trans women aren't "entirely" respected), and because their freedom to participate in activities that reflect who they are is limited by society's rigid notion of femininity, or, in particular, their birth sex. As a result, trans women do not have the same freedom as heterosexuals when it comes to attending social activities. Only when their rights reflect society norms are they recognized; otherwise, they are frowned upon. 

Looking at it, there have been various LGBTQIA+ candidates in the pageant world, Myanmar's Swe Zin Htet was the first openly gay MU candidate 

Notably, Gomez became the first openly gay candidate to win Miss Universe Philippines 2021 in October. She was also in a same-sex relationship publicly. Before her, Miss Universe got the first openly gay participation from Miss Myanmar, Swe Zin Htet, in 2019. She interestingly came out only a week before her Miss Universe stint to cause an everlasting impact on the global LGBTQA+ community. As she has said, 'I thought [coming out] would help more than hurt me.

Being gay in Myanmar comes with punishments and ridicule. When asked about the dangers involved, Zin Htet had said, "I thought it would help me more than hurt me by coming out as a lesbian and being true to who I am."Earlier, Spain's Patricia Yurena Rodríguez Alonso, who came second at Miss Universe 2013, had come out. But this was after the competition. 

It's the age of change, a new era for all of us. We must be accepted of what is happening now in society if it proves to be beneficial to the minority.  

To quote the Miss Universe Website, “The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a 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.” Are transwomen not meant to be celebrated and empowered? Why must they be discriminated against because of their sexual identity? Why would I contribute to the prevalence of social norms?

After all, it does state in the 1987 Consitution of the Philippines that the separation of church and state shall be inviolable. The religious beliefs and opinions of others do not matter to me. By allowing the LGBTQIA+ to participate, we are creating a safe place for them to finally express themselves. I couldn’t care less about hearing your scientific arguments on whether trans people are biologically who they identify as, as a human being, why would I actively want to stand in the way of someone’s happiness?