In its five years of running, Mister Supranational, an annual male pageant held in Poland, has welcomed Giuseppe Santagata as the contest’s first openly gay contestant. The pageant will be held on July 15 in Nowy Sącz, Poland, with other candidates from countries such as Indonesia, Greece, France, and the Dominican Republic.

Giuseppe is also Italy’s first representative. Having grown up in the small town of Alife, Giuseppe was secretive about his identity as a gay man until he moved to Dublin. He currently works as a financial analyst and strives to be a role model for younger people, as well as spreading awareness about mental health and eco-friendly gardening.

We talked with Giuseppe about his experiences in pageantry, self-acceptance, and living in Dublin.

Firstly, congrats on representing Mister Italy! How does it feel to be the first openly gay man to compete in this contest? 

What drew you towards Mister Supranational in particular? 

In my life, I never thought I would be representing my country in a male pageant, but last year many people were encouraging me to try and so I said “why not?” I quickly discovered that I really love what I am doing and I will be forever grateful to the people who encouraged me.

I am also surprised about how many people follow male pageants, I thought was more about female pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Supranational, but you would be very surprised to know the number of people passionate about male pageants too.

How have you been preparing for it?

In a contest like the Mister Supranational, you are expected to be prepared in all aspects. Not only on the side of modelling or the catwalk but also culturally. In fact, I am keeping myself updated with everything that is happening right now in the world as if I manage to be in the top 5, I will have to answer a general question that can be both personal or actuality-related.

My partner is a coach and he prepares Misses and Misters for pageants (he has been a mister too), his last alum was Viviana Vizzini, Miss Universe Italy for the Miss Universe competition in 2020. So I can say that I am in good hands, as he is really passionate and he has a big knowledge about preparation for pageants. He is Venezuelan and Venezuelans are really passionate about pageants!

I have learned that when you are in a contest you quickly become a public figure, and you have to deal with criticism on social networks because if you let people put you down, you will not enjoy what you are doing. To be honest, I have received lots of love from people, a really good response from the public since I was elected Mister Italy. However, there were a few negative comments that really put me down, but I am grateful for that because I have learned that when people get back to you with their worse you always have to get back to them with your best. Kindness is the key!

 

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Why did you decide to move to Dublin?

I moved to Dublin right after I finished my studies in 2017. I came to Dublin for the first time in 2014 to study English and I quickly fell in love with this beautiful city. I love how people are open-minded here, this city helped me a lot to accept who I am. I think Dublin is the best place for LGBTQ+ people because here everyone accepts you for who you really are. Also in the workplace, you are protected here, I never felt discriminated at all. I will be forever grateful to this city.

What were the reactions from your family and friends when you were announced as Italy’s candidate for Mister Supranational? 

They were all super happy! Me and my friends used to watch many pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss Supranational, and Miss World, and in the past years we got our interest also in the Mister Supranational, so when I told them I was going to be part of it they were all so excited. This contest is one of the most important male pageants at the moment and I invite you all to watch the final on July 16th, 2022, you won’t regret it!

You’ve recently launched a new project called the Supra Garden. What can you tell us about it and how are you connecting it to your cause? 

The Supra Garden is a project that will be part of the “From the Ground Up” movement organised by the Mister Supranational organisation. Each of the contestants of the pageant has to prepare a special project and mine is the Supra Garden. In my hometown, me and my family have a garden where we produce our own vegetables, fruits, oil, wine, and food. It is a little corner of the world where we take care of the planet Earth. Everything we do over there is done with love for nature. We do not use any kind of pesticides, medicines, or materials that can damage the planet, so I decided to create an Instagram account where I show people how we take care of nature and give tips on how to preserve the Earth.