Queens of the slipstream

Just what does it take to be a beauty queen? Talent, personality and poise. At least that’s according to Patricia Savage, contestant number 12 at the first Miss Pink Philippines pageant.

It’s the same line trotted out by beauty queens all over the globe. I’m not buying it and I’m not sure Patricia is either. She flashes me a wicked, award-winning smile and adds: “And beauty, of course.”
The first Miss Pink Philippines was held at the Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin on February 5th. Although I’m not a fan of beauty pageants in general, I thought the Miss Pink Phils, like the Alternative Miss Ireland, might be a more amusing affair. I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
I arrived early because I wanted to have a peek backstage. I wasn’t sure what to expect: primping, preening, tantrums and tiaras, possibly. What I didn’t expect, but got, were sandwiches. Within minutes of introducing myself to the lovely Ms Loreal Divine, one of the show’s organisers, she was offering me food. Five minutes later, just to make sure, she suggested a sandwich again. Filipinos have a reputation for hospitality, and it’s well deserved. Everyone I met, from the organisers to the contestants, seemed determined to feed me.
The backstage area was bustling, as the girls prepared for the first event. If there was any bitchy rivalry, it was subterranean. Instead there was much laughter and mutual admiration. They helped each other with their elaborate costumes and put the final touches to hair and make-up. Chatting to the contestants backstage, they reminded me of any group of girls getting ready for a big night out – although with costumes that would put most women to shame. You could never accuse this lot of being dull.
Patricia approached me to chat. She was feeling nervous and kept dashing back to the mirror to touch up. By contrast Sweet Angelica Mae was the soul of calm. She was accompanied by her two sisters, however, both of whom were more nervous about the pageant than her. Jennifer Arenas, the popular favourite on the website, was all steely determination. She confided that she was as ready as she’d ever be – which was just as well as the competition was about to start.

Like a technicolour Rose of Tralee, the Miss Pink Phils followed the familiar beauty contest formula: there was a section where the contestants wore the national costume, followed by an opportunity for them to show their talents, a swimsuit round and, finally, eveningwear. The show itself was wonderfully chaotic. Strops were had backstage, divas disappeared and held up the proceedings and technical hitches abounded, but none of it could detract from the good grace, humour and enthusiasm of the organisers.
Although the proceedings may have been colourful, the Miss Pink Phils has serious intentions at heart. According to Francis Noel, the Pink Philippines Press Officer, the pageant mission is aimed both at promoting Ireland’s gay community and the 10,000 strong Filipino workers living in Ireland. It also raises funds for the Golden Gays, a Manilla based charity to help old, poor and less fortunate gay men.
Ireland has been criticised, and with some justification, for the lack of tolerance displayed here towards both gays and immigrants. Racially motivated attacks and gay bashings are not uncommon. Since the Pink Philippines pageant represents a minority within a minority here, I asked Noel his opinion, but he was surprisingly upbeat.
“Yes, perhaps Ireland is not as open as some countries,” he proffered, “but we just get on with it. The Irish are very friendly, so I found it easy to make friends here.”
Speaking to the contestants generally, I got the same response: everybody seemed to agree that the Irish were friendly and accepting. I was beginning to think I was being spun a line – but by the time the show kicked off, I had been forced to reconsider.
The Miss Pink Philippines had sold out the Temple Bar Music Centre and the crowd was a mixed bag, Filipino, Irish, gay, straight, young, old and a smattering of just about every other type in between. This mix was reflected in the sponsors of the event too – Irish and Filipino businesses and the gay community all gave time and money to promote and support the event. In addition to this, the Pink Philippines received donations and assistance from both gay and straight friends who were happy to help with feeding and housing the contestants, who travelled from all over Ireland, the UK and France, in the run-up to the pageant.
Despite being a beauty pageant, Noel insisted that the candidates were not chosen simply for their ability to look like women, but that personality and talent were essential to anyone aspiring to walk away with the much sought-after tiara. The judges appeared to agree. From where I was sitting it was impossible to tell that the crowd favourites, Asuntamae Yee and Pie Mendoza aren’t women. Both reached the final stages and received minor prizes, but it was contestant no 17, Viviene Melanie Mesias, who won the day. Earlier in the evening, Viviene had scooped the prizes for Best Festival Costume as well as for Best Talent – the latter for her touching and humorous monologue on what it’s like to be a transsexual in a relationship.
Viviene, a nurse from London, was ecstatic about her win. Having just returned to Europe from the Philippines, she had been very close to pulling out of the competition because she felt she was overweight. In the end, she had decided to go ahead as she sees competitions such as the Miss Pink Phils as an opportunity to stand up and be proud of who you are. Now she was triumphant.
Although beauty contests continue to be popular in many parts of the world, they are often accused of being degrading to women. By contrast, pageants showcasing alternative beauty are seen by contestants and organisers alike as empowering. As Noel suggested, a pageant like Miss Pink Phils subverts traditional notions of beauty, rewarding and showcasing those who dare to be different.
A show such as this is an opportunity to address the complex issues of gender identification, sexuality and acceptance in a light-hearted – rather than a heavy-hearted – way. As Loreal Divine put it: “The contestants are ladies, but they are men. They are men, but they are most definitely ladies. It gets a little confusing, I guess. But then so is life.”