Our first openly queer Miss Universe Philippines

Gomez made history as the first member of the LGBTQIA+ to bag the crown. She has been in a relationship with her partner, Kate Jagdon for over six years. Jagdon, a DJ, was present during the awards ceremony and was proudly posting live Instagram stories updates of her beau throughout the night.

Talking about her sexual orientation, Gomez said in an interview that she was in grade school when she first realized she was interested in both sexes. She also expressed her desire for the younger generation of LGBTQIA+ members to have equal rights and protection from bullying and violence.

In 2019, Gomez also took to social media to say that she is non-binary. “Sometimes I’m Beatrice/Bea, other days I feel like being Luigi. It’s about being feminine and masculine at the same time,” she captioned her photo.

She was crowned Binibining Cebu 2020

Gomez isn’t new to pageantry. She started her journey in 2015 when she placed second runner-up at the Miss Mandaue 2015 pageant. Five years later, she was crowned Binibining Cebu 2020. Interestingly, she succeeded reigning queen Steffi Rose Aberasturi whom she competed against in this year’s Miss Universe Philippines pageant.

A model and an athlete

Outside of the pageant world, Gomez is also a stunning model and an athlete. She graduated from the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City where she was a member of the volleyball varsity team. Aside from playing ball, she also enjoys activities such as scuba diving and boxing.

She’s only 26 years old

Gomez was born on Feb. 23, 1995. For all the astrology lovers out there, our new queen is a Sagittarius!

She won more than the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 crown

Although her historic win is the highlight of the night, Gomez also bagged a few more awards. She was awarded Best in Swimsuit, Best in Evening Gown, Miss Creamsilk, and Miss Luxxe Immunplus Game Changer. Darkhorse indeed!

She’s part of the Philippine Navy Reserve Unit

We’ve got a badass kween that’s not only beautiful but is also brave and feisty. Gomez joined the basic citizen’s military course training in January 2021 which allowed her to be part of the Philippine Navy Reserve Unit.

“I hope to serve my fellow countrymen in any way that I can and I am hoping as well to be a role model for my peers to promote peace and humanitarian causes,” the beauty queen said in an interview.

She has a tattoo

Yep, you weren’t seeing things when you watched the beauty pageant last night. Gomez has a tattoo band decorated with cherry blossoms on her right arm. To celebrate her 23rd birthday, she got it inked in 2018 at Cebu City’s Redeemed Tattoo. She acknowledged that an arm band usually means death while at the same time, the cherry blossoms on her tatt mean a new beginning. “It symbolizes that I ended my journey as a girl and that I already transitioned into a woman,” she explained.

Gomez is not your typical beauty queen and she knows it. During the Binibining Cebu 2020 Q&A portion, she was asked what makes her beautiful. Her answer? “I guess what makes me beautiful is my bravery and being true to myself. To tell you guys honestly, I have a girlfriend, I have tattoos, and I’m very proud of my imperfection, and I guess that is what makes me beautiful.”

She is a cat mom!

Our new Miss Universe bet couldn’t be any more perfect but there’s another thing that will endear her to many: she’s a cat mom to an adopted pusang Pinoy. Twix is Bea and Kate’s furbaby dubbed as “handsome boy” on his own Instagram page. Catch him on Gomez’s and Jagdon’s Instagram accounts too!

Her national costume is jaw-dropping

Designed by Axel Que, Gomez’s National Costume ensemble was as stunning as the wearer herself. It was inspired by the Bicolano and Visayan serpent deity, bakunawa. The mythical beast is believed to cause lunar eclipses earning it its name as “Moon Eater.” The bakunawa is depicted to be a huge sea serpent which is why Que designed the costume in glittering cool hues reminiscent of the bioluminescence in marine life. Gomez also wore a double halo to represent an eclipse.

If this is what Gomez comes up with on a national level, we can’t wait for what she can give us on an international level!

Beatrice Luigi Gomez will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant at Eilat, Israel in December 2021.

During the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 coronation night at Panglao, Bohol’s Hennan Resort Convention Center, 30 women vied for the crown. Taguig’s Katrina Dimaranan won Miss Universe Philippines Tourism while Cavite’s Victoria Velasquez Vincent was crowned Miss Universe Philippines Charity. The first and second runners-up were awarded to Pangasinan’s Maureen Wroblewitz and Cebu Province’s Steffi Rose Aberasturi respectively.

Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and be the first to know about the latest news and coolest trends!