Weekend update: Miss Universe 2020 - Push for Inclusivity
The final of the 69th Miss Universe competition was hosted yesterday in Hollywood, Florida, where Andrea Meza of Mexico was crowned the winner. While the annual pageant is often associated with glamor, beauty, and showbiz, it’s no secret that the event has had its fair share of controversy. Notably, the organization was formerly owned by Donald Trump, who openly admitted to sexually harassing contestants, illustrating the misogynistic atmosphere that contestants are exposed to. More recently, former Miss USA 2018 Sarah Rose Summers faced backlash over her xenophobic mockery of the English-speaking ability of her fellow contestants Miss Cambodia’s Nat Rern and Miss Vietnam’s H’Hen Nie. With the current political climate and push for inclusivity, it was refreshing and inspiring to see awareness of global issues through fashion on the Miss Universe’s stage.
Bernadette Belle Wu Ong, Miss Singapore 2020, stepped out on stage in a sequined red bodysuit with a red and white dress draped on her shoulders. Designed by Arwin Meriales, the costume took inspiration from the Singaporean national flag, which is said to symbolize “unity for all and social harmony in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and inter-religious country,” according to Meriales. This statement was emboldened by the message on the back of the dress, hand-painted in the Singaporean national colors by artist Paulo Espinosa, reading “Stop Asian Hate.” Given the past year’s political climate, where Asians have faced increasing hate crimes worldwide, Ong’s homage to Asian resistance against “prejudice and violence” gave hope and courage to Asian viewers.
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Myanmar’s Miss Universe contestant, Thuzar Wint Lwin did not shy away from using her platform to raise awareness either. During the same national costume segment of the show, as she walked out in her traditional costume, she held up a sign reading “Pray for Myanmar” in bold letters. Her striking stance called attention to her home country’s crisis, where she stated: “Our people are dying and being shot by the military every day. Therefore, I would like to urge everyone to speak out about Myanmar...as Miss Universe Myanmar, since the military coup, I have been speaking out as much as I can.” Her words protest Myanmar’s censorship and the violent military coup that began in February.
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Lola de Los Santos of Uruguay, a longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, also showed her solidarity for the community during the competition as she walked down the runway in a striking rainbow costume adorned with a floral crown. The rainbow flag, a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and social movements, displayed the poignant message “NO MORE HATE VIOLENCE REJECTION DISCRIMINATION.”
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What did you think of this year’s Miss Universe competition?
Charlotte Chen