Michelle Marquez Dee, winner of the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 title in the beauty pageant crazy Philippines, came out as bisexual.
Gracing the cover of a Mega Magazine, Dee was quoted as saying that she has been identifying herself as bisexual for the longest time. “I definitely identify myself as bisexual. I’ve identified with that for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I’m attracted to all forms of beauty, all shapes and sizes.”
Dee – the daughter of another beauty queen, Melanie Marquez, credited her family that she said was filled with “empowered and strong” individuals. There, “I grew up in an environment where we’d appreciate pogi [and] maganda… I never had to quote, unquote come out. I was never really confronted about it by my parents or people who matter.”
But Dee said that even before coming out, she has long been an advocate and ally of the LGBTQIA community, having attended Pride events. “It’s just that I never gave a confirmation (of my sexuality)” mainly because she did not feel her sexual identity is an issue because “I’m so much more than how I identify myself… I have so much more to offer the world and the universe than how I identify myself. This is also the reason why I chose not to come out despite the pressure to come out during the competition.”
But with her winning the title, people have also started gossiping about her sexual orientation, basically forcing Dee to come out. “When somebody takes away your story, then you should take control of that narrative. Turn it around and make it an empowering story. So that’s what I’m doing,” Dee said.
