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Miss U PH Michelle Dee on being bisexual: ‘I am attracted to all forms of beauty, all shapes and sizes’

by Izel Abanilla

Who’s ashamed of her own sexual identity? Definitely, not newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee.

After her boyish photos resurfaced, Dee on DATE addressed malicious allusions hounding her sexuality, saying she is bisexual and proud of it.

In an exclusive interview with Mega Entertainment, Dee said the photos that went viral were more of a “confirmation rather than a revelation” of her gender identity, which she described as an “open secret”.

“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 said. 

Dee did not have to go through years of hiding and unacceptance from her own family and friends. 

In fact, her family, especially her mother, Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez, embraced her identity with open arms. That kind and liberal reception from her mom, Dee said, made a big impact on her. 

“My mom would say, ‘O, anak, when I was young, I had five girlfriends.’ She’d teased me sometimes because I had a very boyish demeanor. I liked doing sports; my sister did ballet. So I grew up in an environment where we’d appreciate pogi, maganda,” she shared. 

She even shared a story about her mother randomly telling that if she’d have a girlfriend, it would have to be someone prettier than her. 

Such empowerment allowed Dee to become true to herself. 

“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. 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,’” she said. 

If there were any hesitations, that would have to be outing herself before the public, which is not often kind.

“I felt that because I had such high-profile parents, I had to conform with societal standards,” Dee said.

“I understood the responsibility of being the child of that and this. 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. That struggle ended in maybe high school. It has long passed,” she added. 

Dee admits that she was advised to talk about her gender before winning the crown but she refused.

The pageant, she said, was bigger than herself. She knew that she had “more to offer the world and the universe” than how she identifies herself hence her decision not to come out. 

“It was never an issue because I felt—and I still feel like—I’m so much more than how I identify myself,” Michelle adds. “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.”

“It was never an issue because I felt—and I still feel like—I’m so much more than how I identify myself,” Michelle adds. “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,” she said. 

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