Former Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil comes out as bisexual
Miss Universe Australia 2020 Maria Thattil has come out as bisexual on a recent episode of the Australian reality television series "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!"
The 28-year-old Australian model of Indian descent took to social media after the episode aired to talk more about her coming out.
"Before the show, I had only come out to a handful of people. My brother took my call at midnight last night and talked it over with me - and I realized the reason I’ve been so scared to do this is exactly why I need to," Maria wrote on her official account with photos of herself painted in rainbow colors.
"A lack of bisexual visibility for most of my life has meant that the experience was confusing and there were parallels to other experiences I had with social identity. Fear of falling in between the cracks, never fully finding a place in myself," she continued.
"No longer a secret to protect but a part of me to celebrate," she added to her caption with a pride (rainbow) flag emoji, the symbol of the world's LGBT movement, and are widely used in gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.
Maria represented Australia at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant held in Hollywood, Florida where she placed as one of the Top 10 finalists. She was the second woman of Indian origin to be crowned Miss Universe Australia, following Priya Serrao in 2019, and the third woman of color to hold the national beauty title.
Other notable Miss Universe beauties who are out and proud members of the LGBTQ+ community are former Miss Universe Spain and Miss Universe runner-up, Patricia Yurena Rodríguez, the first-ever transgender Miss Universe contestant also from Spain, Ángela Ponce, the first openly gay Miss Universe Myanmar Swe Zin Htet, and lately the reigning Miss Universe Philippines and Miss Universe 2021 Top 5 finalist, Beatrice Luigi Gomez.
Photo: Benjamin Askinas / Miss Universe Organization
