Miss Myanmar, Swe Zin Htet bravely came out publicly as a lesbian following her competition at the 2019 Miss Universe, becoming the first-ever openly gay woman to compete in the pageant.
Htet, who won Miss Myanmar title in May 2019, disclosed her sexual orientation before participating in the pageant that held at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, December 8, 2019.
“I came to a full realization about my sexual orientation over a long period of time. I knew I was “one of them” way back in 2015,” she said.
The 21-year-old beauty queen said it’s challenging to speak out but she wants to use her platform to help LGBTQ people in Myanmar.
“It is personally quite challenging but I feel that I have a greater voice and the best position to promote this cause. Some pageant fans know about it and they still support me but this is the first time I am able to talk about it in public.”
“I believe that not all countries allow same-sex marriage. I want the world to accept the LGBTQ+ community and their right to choose their own path and pursuit of happiness,’ she went on.”
“Love is the most powerful thing and people fall in love with human beings, not gender.”
Speaking about the importance of advocacy, she said: ‘I have that platform that, if I say that I’m a lesbian, it will have a big impact on the LGBTQ community back in Burma,’ she told People via a translator.
“The difficult thing is that in Burma, LGBTQ people are not accepted… they are looked down on by other people and are being discriminated against.”
“LGBTQ people in Myanmar do not have equal rights and I want to change that. I feel like if I am open about my sexuality others will open up, too,” Htet told Glamour.
In Myanmar, gay sex is punishable with up to 10 years in prison.
The Miss Universe organization has also drummed support for Htet.
