Miss Cavite Kimberly "Billie" Hakenson made headlines during the Miss Universe Philippines preliminaries when she introduced herself as bisexual in her closed-door interview.
In the teaser trailer for the sixth episode of the Miss Universe Philippines Ring Light series, Billie was highlighted saying, "I'm Billie Hakenson. I'm representing Cavite, and I'm bisexual and I'm proud to be here."
Later in the week, Billie made some clarifications on her Instagram about her introduction.
The beauty queen underlined that her declaration during the interview wasn't a coming-out moment, but a reiteration of who she is.
Billie wrote in her caption (published as is): "I did not come out. I certainly did not come out on the Miss Universe Philippines stage. I simply reiterated my truth.
"I am bisexual. While who I love, and have loved, does not define the core of my being, I am a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community."
Billie then dedicated her Miss Universe Philippines journey to "every single person who has been pigeonholed, discriminated, or dehumanized for their gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation."
She declared, "May we no longer be silenced by fear, but empowered by our truth and the support of our allies."
The Miss Universe Philippines 2020 grand finale will be aired on October 25, 2020, 9:00 am.
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