Miss Universe Myanmar is petn's first openly gay nttant | CNN

Contents:

• MISS UNIVERSE CELEBRAT S FIRST OPENLY GAY NTTANT
• MISS UNIVERSE'S FIRST OPENLY GAY CONTTANT CAME OUT DAYS AGO: 'I JT STARTED A NEW CHAPTER'
• MISS UNIVERSE IS BREAKG BARRIERS WH ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY CONTTANT

MISS UNIVERSE CELEBRAT S FIRST OPENLY GAY NTTANT

The Miss Universe bety pageant has featured an openly gay nttant for the first time – and she hails om a untry where homosexualy is crimalized.

MISS UNIVERSE'S FIRST OPENLY GAY CONTTANT CAME OUT DAYS AGO: 'I JT STARTED A NEW CHAPTER'

Htet, also known to fans as “Superman, ” reportedly me out as gay an terview posted on a pageant fom, Missosology, shortly after she arrived Atlanta for the petn. Her g out is all the more strikg given that a lonial-era sectn of Myanmar’s penal allows urts to punish gay sex wh long prison sentenc.

Anti-LGBTQ attus are prevalent Southeast Asian untri like Bnei, which nearly imposed a ath penalty for gay sex May, and Sgapore, where sex between men is punishable by jail time. When Swe Z Htet tak the stage as the reigng Miss Myanmar the Miss Universe petn on Sunday, she will be thkg of the LGBTQ muny back her untry, also known as Burma, where homosexualy remas a ago, Htet me out as a lbian and beme the first openly gay Miss Universe pageant nttant. While there is no mentn of LGBTQ rights on her b on the Miss Universe webse — and she chose the issue of preventg child abe as the e for which she advot — she posted a gay pri flag on her Instagram on Nov.

MISS UNIVERSE IS BREAKG BARRIERS WH ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY CONTTANT

Acrdg to a study entled "The Global Divi on Homosexualy" that was nducted by the Pew Rearch Center 2013, the Philipp ranked the top 10 most gay-iendly untri the world. That same study showed that 73 percent of adult Filipos agreed that "homosexualy should be accepted by society.