Hindi nagbabago ang pananaw ng first Filipino Miss Universe na si Gloria Diaz na mga kababaihan lamang ang dapat sumali sa patimpalak na kanyang sinalihan at pinalanunan noong 1969.
Read: Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz, hindi pabor sa pagsali ng mga misis sa Miss Universe
Si Gloria at ang kanyang anak na si Isabelle Daza ang mga panauhin sa Fast Talk With Boy Abunda nitong Martes ng hapon, Pebrero 27, 2024.
Napag-usapan nila ng host na si Boy Abunda ang “inclusivity” sa bagong patakaran ng Miss Universe Organization tungkol sa mga nagnanais lumahok.
Pahayag ni Gloria, “Basically, in ordinary words, kailangan transvestite, kailangan may Miss Transvestite Universe.
"Tomboy, Miss Tomboy Universe.
"Bakla, transgender, whatever, lahat ng politically correct, kanya-kanya.
“Sa Miss Universe, dapat Miss Universe.
"Pero iba na talaga ngayon. Kasi ngayon, dyo-join ka isang beses, medyo natalo ka, makikita mo ang ilong mo, medyo pango, sige, gawin mong maayos. Maliit ang boobs, taasan mo boobs.
"Ako, open ako for other people. But not for me. Not for my daughter.
“Sabi ko nga kay Belle noon, 'Belle, o ano, mag-join ka sa Miss Universe, ako ang bahala sa yo. Kapag natalo ka, iskandaluhin ko silang lahat.'
"That’s the reason hindi siya nag-join. ‘Mom, I know you’ll do that!’"
Read: Mga misis, trans, plus-size women sa Miss Universe, hanggang semis na lang ba?
Ang pahayag ng American transgender woman sports personality na si Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) naman ang ginamit na halimbawa ni Isabelle tungkol sa desisyon ng Miss Universe Organization (MUO) na alisin ang age requirement at payagang sumali ang trans women sa ngalan ng inclusivity.
Ani Isabelle, “There are some sort of barrier but, of course, inclusivity and equality, I’m all for that.
“I like what Caitlyn Jenner said before. She said that people mistake fighting for equality and fighting for fairness to be the same thing.”
Kontrobersiyal na usapin sa kasalukuyan ang leaked video ng pakikipagpulong ni MUO owner Anne Jakrajutatip sa mga national director ng Miss Universe.
Read: Miss Universe’s credibility questioned over leaked video of Anne Jakrajutatip
Read: Miss Universe owner Anne Jakrajutatip condemns “malicious edited video”
Kinikilala ni Isabelle ang malaking impluwensiya ng kanyang ina sa buhay niya dahil natuto siyang magpakumbaba.
Ikinuwento ni Isabelle ang insidente nang umuwi siya ng madaling-araw sa kanilang tahanan na pagod na pagod, pero tumatak nang husto sa kanyang isip ang mga salitang binitiwan ni Gloria.
Lahad niya, “I was so tired and I said, 'I never wanna do this. It’s so tiring. I have to cry.'
"And then she said, like, ‘Don’t make quitting showbiz a problem. If you quit today, no one will remember you. I’ve seen the biggest stars come and go and you’re replaceable.’
“It just, like, hit me, the humility and awareness. I was, like, 'That’s so true.'"
Patuloy niya, “She has shaped me into being somebody who values relationships, education, and travelling with kids.
"Teaching them about that and understanding that it’s not about how much money you make but how much you’re able to save.”
May pinagmulan ang payo ni Gloria kay Isabelle dahil sa murang edad, nagkaroon siya ng leksiyon tungkol sa humility nang isalin niya ang korona ng Miss Universe sa kanyang successor na si Marisol Malaret ng Puerto Rico noong July 1970.
“They pushed me practically off the stage. Then I was ready to go home that night, they took my limousine na.
“They took the limousine to give it to the other girl. Yung stretch limo, they took it na. And then they gave me 24 hours to vacate my suite.
"So, buti na lang, my parents were there. They had their car.
"At 18 years old, that’s a real lesson,” lahad ni Gloria tungkol sa kanyang hindi malilimutang karanasan na isang malaking aral tungkol sa pagpapakumbaba.