Patricia Rodríguez
Rodríguez in 2008
Born
Patricia Yurena Rodríguez Alonso

(1990-03-06) 6 March 1990
Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Spain
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Beauty pageant titleholder
TitleMiss Tenerife 2007
Miss Spain 2008
Miss Universe Spain 2013
Hair colorBrown
Eye colorBrown
Major
competition(s)		Miss Spain 2008
(Winner)
Miss World 2008
(Top 15)
Miss Universe Spain 2013
(Winner)
Miss Universe 2013
(1st Runner-Up)

Patricia Yurena Rodríguez Alonso (born 6 March 1990) is a Spanish model, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Spain 2008 and then Miss Universe Spain 2013. She represented Spain at Miss World 2008, where she placed in the top fifteen, and at Miss Universe 2013, where she was the first runner-up, becoming the highest-placing Spanish delegate since Teresa Sánchez López was first runner-up at Miss Universe 1985, and after Amparo Muñoz won the title in 1974.

In August 2014, during the end of her reign as Miss Universe Spain, Rodríguez revealed she was in a relationship with a woman through her Instagram, becoming the first out LGBT woman to hold a major national pageant title.[1][2] Although she was not out while competing, Rodríguez became the second competitor in a major international beauty pageant to come out as LGBT, following Julia Lemigova, who represented the Soviet Union at Miss Universe 1991. In February 2021, Rodríguez confirmed her pansexuality and that she was currently in a relationship with a man, saying that "love does not understand gender".

Early life

Rodríguez was born in Granadilla de Abona on the island of Tenerife within the Canary Islands of Spain.[3][4] She began modeling professionally as a teenager.[5]

Pageantry

Miss Spain 2008

In March 2008, Rodríguez represented Tenerife at Miss Spain 2008. She advanced from the initial group of 52 entrants to the top twenty, then top twelve, and ultimately the top six. After entering the top six, Rodríguez went on to win the title.[6] As Miss Spain, Rodríguez was to represent Spain at Miss Universe 2008; however, Miss Universe rules stipulated that all entrants must have turned 18 by 1 February of the year of the contest, while Rodríguez had only turned 18 that March. After being declared illegible due to her age, Rodríguez was selected to compete at Miss World 2008 instead, while her first runner-up Claudia Moro was selected to represent Spain at Miss Universe.[7]

Later that year, Rodríguez arrived in Johannesburg to represent Spain at Miss World 2008. Of the initial 109 delegates, she advanced to the top fifteen, but did not make it to the top five. Ksenia Sukhinova of Russia was ultimately crowned the winner.[8][9]

Miss Universe Spain 2013

The Miss Spain Organization held the Spanish license for Miss Universe, so for years Rodríguez was ineligible to compete again in the hope of representing Spain at Miss Universe. However, in 2013, the organization was split into two separate organizations: Miss World Spain and Miss Universe Spain. Rodríguez was selected as one of the twelve delegates at the inaugural Miss Universe Spain 2013 competition, held in Madrid. She advanced to the top six, where she ultimately was crowned the winner.[10]

As Miss Universe Spain, Rodríguez was given the right to represent Spain at the Miss Universe 2013 competition in Moscow.[11] She went on to receive immense success at Miss Universe, advancing from the initial 86 delegates to the top sixteen, top ten, top five, and ultimately placed as the first runner-up behind Gabriela Isler of Venezuela. This was the best result Spain had received in the competition since Teresa Sánchez López was 1st Runner-Up at Miss Universe 1985.

Miss Universe 2013

Rodríguez represented Spain at Miss Universe 2013 on 9 November 2013, finishing as 1st runner-up to María Gabriela Isler of Venezuela, her roommate during the competition. She is the second Spanish woman to place 1st runner-up in the Miss Universe competition (the first one was Teresa Sánchez López in 1985). She is also only one of seven former Miss World semifinalists to place in the Miss Universe semifinals, the others being Michelle McLean of Namibia in 1992, Christine Straw of Jamaica in 2004, Ada de la Cruz of the Dominican Republic in 2009, Yendi Phillips also of Jamaica in 2010, Catriona Gray of the Philippines in 2018, Julia Gama of Brazil in 2020, and Andrea Meza of Mexico in 2020 (coincidentally Rodriguez, de la Cruz, Phillips, and Gama all finished as 1st Runner-Up).

Personal life

In August 2014, Rodríguez publicized her romantic relationship with Spanish DJ Vanesa Klein through her Instagram account. This revelation sparked international headlines referring to Rodríguez as a lesbian, with Rodríguez becoming the first major national pageant titleholder to be out as LGBT, and the second woman out as LGBT to have competed in one of the major international beauty pageants, following Julia Lemigova, who represented the Soviet Union at Miss Universe 1991.[12]

In February 2021, Rodríguez said that she was in a relationship with a man, saying that "love does not understand gender", confirming her pansexuality.[13]

Filmography

Year Title Role Medium Notes
2010 Aliens vs. Predator Female Colonial Marines Video game Voice role
2014 Tal como eres Short film Directed by Román Reyes. Produced by HYPNOS Films.

References

  1. ↑ Scott, Ellen (August 25, 2014). "Patricia Yurena becomes first openly gay winner of Miss Spain". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  2. ↑ Heller, Corinne (August 25, 2014). "Miss Spain Patricia Yurena Rodriguez Comes Out as Gay, Shares Photos of Her With Girlfriend—See The Pics". E!. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Someday I'll have my own business". La Voz de Cádiz. March 10, 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Tonight we celebrate". Diario de Avisos. June 1, 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  5. ↑ "Ficha Candidata - Patricia Rodríguez". missespana.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  6. ↑ "Miss Tenerife, new Miss Spain". Telecinco. February 29, 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "Miss Tenerife is crowned Miss Spain". Canarias7. EFE. March 2, 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  8. ↑ "A student of Tenerife, 17, wins Miss Spain". El Periódico de Aragón. March 3, 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  9. ↑ Barroso, Marisol (December 17, 2008). "Sabía que podía hacerlo bien". El Día. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  10. ↑ Edwin Toledo. "The Times of Beauty - www.timesofbeauty.com - Miss World 2015 - Miss Universe 2015: Miss Universe Spain 2013". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  11. ↑ Miss Universe Organization. "Miss Universe Pageant - 2013 Contestants". Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  12. ↑ Best, Jessica (22 August 2014). "Miss Spain Patricia Yurena becomes first lesbian national beauty queen - Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  13. ↑ "EL EMBARAZO DE LA EX-MISS ESPAÑA PATRICIA YURENA CAUSA REVUELO EN REDES" (in Spanish). 18 February 2021.
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