Warning: this article discusses sensitive themes some readers may find distressing.
For the first time, an Indigenous man will represent Australia at this year's Mr Universe beauty pageant.
Model, actor and comedian Jony Berry is no stranger to the runway: he already represented the country at the 2019 Mr World contest.
“I never thought I’d be representing our country for a second time, or at all, ever!
“I feel blessed, I feel honoured.”
Not to be confused with the body-building competition (featuring the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger), Mr Universe is not just about physical appearance; the competition is also about contestant's charm, talent, and social responsibility.
"When it comes to pageantry it generally looks like masculine man of the world. Toxic masculinity,” the palawa man told NITV.
“So, I hope that for me to represent as an openly queer man will not only show that we’re all equal, but we’re also all together, we’re one community.”
It's a message that's especially important to Berry, especially in light of a negative experience he had at the 2019 Mr World Contest in the Philippines.
The organisers of the pageant told him to remove the Aboriginal Flag from his national costume due to copyright.
“So, they took the flag right off the back of my costume, but I already had it sewn into the lapel and on the bottom, so in a way I got to wear it.
"For me it would have been absolutely crazy to not take the Aboriginal flag," said Jony Berry. Source: Supplied
He's preparing his wardrobe to strut down the runway again, with a new national costume that will incorporate First Nations and Oceania designs.
“I wanted my national costume to represent my mob and all First Nations mob around the world.”
“This time around, I'm doing a robe again, surprise, but it's going to be a different colour.
"It's a lot longer, it's a lot more detailed, and it's kind of the evolution. It's evolved like I've evolved.”
The glittering triumph of a possible Mr Universe title is a world away from Mr Berry's tough origins.
Reflecting on his experience of homelessness and child sexual abuse, Berry hopes his representation empowers First Nations and LGBTQIA+ people.
“I’ve been knocked down 100 times, I’ve been run down, knocked down, run over, kicked down, but I always get back up.
“You've just kind of got to get up and you've got to do it, and you've got to try it no matter what.”
