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Michelle Dee vows to raise LGBTQIA+ flag at Miss Universe

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Michelle Dee of Makati City is crowned Miss Universe-Philippines 2023 during the coronation night in Pasay City on May 13, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/06/26/20230513-missuniverse-ph-michelle-dee-md-19.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Michelle Dee of Makati City is crowned Miss Universe-Philippines 2023 during the coronation night in Pasay City on May 13, 2023. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee felt right at home on Saturday evening, during the Pride Month celebrations at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.</p><p>Dee, who revealed that she is bisexual last May 29, was one of the guests at Quezon City&#x27;s &quot;Love Laban,&quot; wherein a crowd of over 110,000 congregated not just to celebrate, but also to call for the passage of the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill and demand for equality for the LGBTQIA+ community.</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/06/25/23/more-than-100k-attend-qcs-pride-festival">More than 100k attend QC&#x27;s Pride Festival</a></li><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/06/24/23/free-to-protest-as-one-lgbt-groups-hold-stronger-pride-march">LGBT groups hold &#x27;stronger&#x27; Pride March, bats for passage of SOGIE Equality Bill</a></li></ul><p>&quot;This is the first time that I am celebrating Pride after coming out as bisexual. So, it feels so good to finally be home with all of you,&quot; said Dee.</p><p>Expressing her gratitude for the support she has received since winning the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant, Dee vowed to represent not just the Philippines when she competes but also the LGBTQIA+ community.</p><p>&quot;I know that no matter where we go, we will always raise our flag, and I hope you all know na pagpunta ko sa El Salvador, I won&#x27;t just be raising the Philippine flag, but I&#x27;ll also be raising the LGBTQIA flag,&quot; said Dee.</p><p>&quot;Pride Month is about being proud of how far we&#x27;ve come, and I&#x27;m so, so proud of us. Like I said, we are too big, we are too loud, and we are too united to be ignored,&quot; she also said. &quot;I&#x27;m just so proud to finally be here, with all of you.&quot;</p><p>Dee, who also did her trademark &quot;snake walk&quot; along the rainbow ramp, said she was honored to &quot;celebrate with all of you.&quot;</p><p>&quot;You know, we have yet to live in a universe that really believes in full equality. But we are on the way, I feel na malapit na malapit na tayo,&quot; she told the crowd.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Members of the LGBTQIA+ community attend the “Lovelaban” evening concert at the Quezon Memorial Circle grounds during the Pride celebrations in Quezon City on June 24, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/06/26/20230624-pride-march-qc-mt15.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Members of the LGBTQIA+ community attend the “Lovelaban” evening concert at the Quezon Memorial Circle grounds during the Pride celebrations in Quezon City on June 24, 2023. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Dee, 28, came out as bisexual just days ahead of Pride Month, telling Mega Magazine that she is &quot;attracted to all forms of beauty, all shapes and sizes.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/05/29/23/miss-universe-ph-michelle-dee-comes-out-as-bisexual">Reacting to viral photos, Miss Universe PH 2023 Michelle Dee comes out as bisexual</a></li></ul><p>Appearing on the cover of the magazine, Dee explained that she wanted to take control of her own narrative after the spread of photos from her teenage years on social media.</p><p>&quot;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&#x27;m not worthy of the crown,&quot; said Dee.</p><p>&quot;I acknowledge that it was so malicious that I felt -- and this applies to everyone -- when somebody takes away your story, then you should take control of that narrative. Turn it around and make it an empowering story,&quot; she added.</p><p>But even before coming out, Dee stressed that she has always been an advocate with many friends in the LGBTQIA+ community.</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/05/14/23/get-to-know-new-miss-universe-ph-michelle-dee">Get to know new Miss Universe PH Michelle Dee</a></li><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/05/13/23/michelle-dee-of-makati-is-new-miss-universe-philippines">Michelle Dee of Makati is new Miss Universe Philippines</a></li></ul><p>Dee won the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 last May 13, succeeding Celeste Cortesi.</p><p>A veteran of the pageant scene, Dee competed in the Miss World 2019 where she placed in the Top 12. She went on to join the Miss Universe Philippines pageant in 2022, where she was the runner-up to Cortesi.</p><p><br/>RELATED VIDEO</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2693608" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee felt right at home on Saturday evening, during the Pride Month celebrations at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

Michelle Dee vows to raise LGBTQIA+ flag at Miss Universe

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Michelle Dee vows to raise LGBTQIA+ flag at Miss Universe

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 26, 2023 11:24 AM PHT

|

Updated Oct 29, 2024 04:07 PM PHT

Read More:

Michelle Dee

Pride Month

Love Laban

Quezon City Pride

QC Pride Festival

Miss Universe

Miss Universe Philippines

Pride 2023

Express Your Pride

LGBTQ

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