Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee has come out as bisexual.
After securing the aforementioned title and crown, the 28-year-old opened up about her identity for the first time in an interview with Mega.
“I definitely identify myself as bisexual. I’ve identified with that for as long as I can remember. I’m attracted to all forms of beauty, all shapes and sizes,” she told the publication on 29 May.
Dee added that growing up, she never felt the need to “come out” because her parents cultivated a supportive and empowering environment.
“I was getting positive feedback by just being myself. I never had to identify myself. I never had to quote, unquote come out. I was never really confronted about it by my parents or people who matter,” she explained.
“When I get into a relationship, the first thing I will tell that person is ‘, Okay, let’s get this out of the way.’ And then you can decide if you want to date me.”
While the future Miss Universe competitor was given “free reigns” to express herself, she felt pressured to hide her identity due to their public image.
“I felt that because I had such high-profile parents, I had to conform with societal standards. I understood the responsibility of being the child of that and this,” she said.
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“I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t hurting anyone else’s or my parents’ reputation, despite the fact that my parents never told me it was wrong.”
Elsewhere in her interview, Dee opened up about why she decided to come out after winning Miss Universe Philippines – which she said stemmed from old photos of her with a “boyish” style resurfacing.
“I want to come out with this story because I know that those photos were spread with malicious intent to kind of distract me, make me feel I’m not worthy of the crown,” she explained.
“I acknowledge that it was so malicious that I felt ––and this applies to everyone – when somebody takes away your story, then you take control of that narrative. Turn it around and make it an empowering story.
“We all have to realize that we’ve come such a long way to just let our past define us: Again, how old was I? That was 2014, and it’s 2023.”
Lastly, Dee revealed that she didn’t want to come out during the pageant – which she was suggested to do – because her participation was “much greater” than her identity.
“This is not about me. This is about the cause I’m fighting, advocating for: autism awareness. That’s my main goal. My identity is not what I want to be remembered for,” she said.
You can read Michelle Dee’s full interview with Mega here.
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