It was a Friday night of preparation. I was organizing my belongings and clothes for an early trip to La Union. After zipping up my backpack, I left my apartment and went down to buy some midnight snacks at the nearby convenience store.
A few blocks away were a stage and lights. I could hear a woman speaking as if she were in a debate. When I looked closer, I saw the stage adorned with the colors of the rainbow and knew exactly what was happening.
I went back to my apartment, changed into decent clothes, and ran to the event. I have always been a pageant fan. I have watched national pageants online and even live multiple times.
One of my favorite pastimes is to listen to pageant analysts follow a contestant’s journey to the crown. But that Friday night was different. It was a Miss Gay pageant, a barangay-level competition.
It was already the Q&A round, so I knew the night was almost over. The last woman holding the mic gave a lengthy and comprehensive answer about what best represents her. She received multiple claps from the audience.
In pageant terms, “lumamon ng mic.” I did not clap because I was already expecting her to give an outstanding Q&A performance. I knew her.
I have watched her clips online and how she “eats” the microphone every time she is on stage. She first caught my attention when I saw her Q&A clip online answering the question, “Is it necessary for common people to acknowledge and follow LGBTQIA+ demands to be called by proper pronouns such as .