What beauty queens think of the Sogie bill

With a lot of things said about the Sogie (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression) Equality Bill, some beauty queens have expressed support for the measure to be passed into law after languishing in the legislative halls for many years.

Katarina Rodriguez

“I was raised … [to treat people, whatever their sexual orientation is,] like our equal, with kindness and genuine interest. For me, anything that would help promote equality, to bring us to that goal, I am for it,” 2018 Miss World Philippines Katarina Rodriguez told Inquirer Entertainment at the 2019 Miss World Philippines Charity Gala held at Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Quezon City last Wednesday night.

Her fellow actress-beauty queen Sophia Senoron, the first winner of the Miss Multinational pageant, said that the bill “creates a better opportunity for people to express themselves,” and grants members of the LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) community “more power as a minority.”

Sophia Senoron

Sophia also shared that she is a friend of lawyer Jesus Falcis, who helped draft the bill. Both are campus debaters. “He is my senior by a few years,” the beauty queen added.

Thia Thomalla

Her fellow 2017 Miss World Philippines queen, 2018 Miss Eco International Thia Thomalla, shared the same sentiments about the hotly contested bill.

“It is about time we give the LGBTQI community another chance to let other people see who they are,” she said.

Laura Lehman

Laura Lehman, 2017 Miss World Philippines, joined the conversation and said, “Anything that involves antidiscrimination, I am for.”

She added: “It is hard to convince people who have one way of thinking, who have one point of view. I would like to tell them to keep their minds open, know what it feels like to be on the other side, to be in another person’s shoes.”

Mafae Yunon-Belasco

Mafae Yunon-Belasco, who finished in the Top 5 of the 2003 Miss World pageant, likewise declared support for the Sogie Equality Bill, because she said she wants her friends in the LGBTQI community “to be happy, accepted and feel equal.”

Mafae, niece of 1983 Miss Universe runner-up Desiree Verdadero, added: “We are all humans. We believe in certain things. But at the end of the day, we just want to be treated equally.”

Laura, together with 2017 Reina Hispanoamericana Winwyn Marquez, will host the 2019 Miss World Philippines pageant, which will take place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tomorrow.

Katarina will relinquish her crown to her successor, who will be proclaimed along with five other winners—Miss Eco Philippines, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas, Miss Multinational Philippines, Miss Tourism Philippines and Miss Eco Teen International.

Both Katarina and Sophia are currently shooting Rain Entertainment’s flick “GLU,” which also features Ruru Madrid, Kiko Estrada, Enzo Pineda and David Licauco.

Thia stars opposite Alden Richards in the upcoming Kapuso teleserye “The Gift,” which premieres on Monday.