LGBTQIA+ men are not welcome to join the Mister Intercontinental Philippines (MIP), according to the eligibility requirements recently released by the people behind the male pageant.
In a Facebook post created by Pageant Talk, taken during the launch of the pageant, it was stated that eligible candidates must be: natural-born male Filipino citizens, or of Filipino descent, or have dual citizenship, or be overseas Filipinos; single and have never been married; between 18 and 35 years old; and must be at least 5’8” in height.
But, to emphasize, “only heterosexual (straight) male candidates are eligible to participate, in accordance with the pageant’s official eligibility criteria.” Meaning, LGBTQIA+ people may be welcome to idolize the would-be candidates, but they can’t be part of the competition.
Aside from LGBTQIA+ persons, also ineligible are:
- adult content creators;
- individuals with publicly circulated sexual or explicit videos (even if this is not their choice), supposedly because it may negatively affect the reputation of MIP; and
- individuals with criminal records or pending serious criminal cases.
MIP claims it will subject all candidates to verification.
MIP, however, failed to stipulate how it will assess would-be candidates’ sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) if it refuses to accept people’s self-identification. It is similarly mum on how this is discriminatory, with gender-diverse people ending up promoting the patriarchal system that discriminates against them.
Interestingly, MIP claims to empower “Filipino men to become confident, compassionate, and globally competitive ambassadors who embody excellence, leadership, culture, and social responsibility by providing opportunities for personal growth, leadership development, cultural representation, and meaningful community involvement, while proudly representing the Philippines on the international stage, as per the Pageant Talk post.
Outrage Magazine has already PM’d MIP, but no response was received as of press time.
