Is the world ready for a transgender to join Traditional Beauty Pageants?

In the 21st century, beauty pageants are now starting to evolve into a whole new level. This time, the members of the transgender community are starting to break the odds when some of them decided to join traditional beauty pageants. Female transgenders are now slowly penetrating traditional beauty pageant contests by trying to join as contestants. There are notable personalities who already joined traditional beauty pageant contestants even though they were born in a different gender. For this issue, is the world really ready for a transgender contestant for a traditional beauty pageant?

One notable beauty pageant that allows any members of the transgender community to join traditional beauty pageant is the Miss Universe annual international beauty pageant. In 2012, Donald Trump made a historic revamp in the rules of Miss Universe to allow transgenders to participate in Miss Universe. This is to promote diversity with regards to gender preference issues in the field of beauty pageantry. Miss Universe seeks to empower diversity by allowing transgender communities to participate in the annual international beauty pageant. The latest action of Miss Universe just made a breakthrough for the transgender community to become more inspired and empowered in the field of a beauty pageant.

transgenders in beauty pageants

Miss Universe is the only known mega-pageant to allow transgenders to participate along with the natural born female contestants. Other major international beauty pageants are yet to announce their decision sometime in the future with regards to either consideration or exclusion of transgenders. These are Miss International, Miss World, Miss Earth, Miss Grand International, Miss Supranational, and Miss Intercontinental.

Transgender is one of the classifications that make up the LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community. The term transgender is referred to as an individual who identifies self as the opposite of their biological gender. There are two types of transgenders. The most common type is the male transgender, in which people who were born biologically as male transitioned into a female that suits their gender identity. On the other hand, male transgenders are individuals who were born as a female but transitioned to a male.

Being a transgender is a challenging process for an individual who is suffering from gender identity disorder. These individuals suffered intense bullying, discrimination, and segregation at schools where people see themselves as different from the crowd. The intensity of hatred towards transgenders is so intense that some transgenders end up being executed by a person or group who hates any members of the LGBT community. In conservative countries, being a member of LGBT is regarded as a criminal act, which further escalates the threat of harm, especially towards the members of the transgender community.

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Italy is one country that is now slowly organizing local transgender beauty pageants across the nation. Each year, there are small organizations and clubs that are now hosting local transgender beauty pageants elsewhere across the country. Some clubs and LGBT organizations in the area sometimes invite participants from other countries to participate the event. Their purpose is to support LGBTQ community by organizing a local beauty pageant events in their areas.

Transgenders in Europe will now have an opportunity to display their beauty and poise to their European counterparts. Some transgenders living in Europe could not afford to travel to Thailand and participate in Miss International Queen. It will not be a surprise if Italy will become a fresh haven for transgender hopefuls to participate in another international transgender beauty pageants that are now based in Italy. European transgenders will now have the option on where to participate whether in Thailand or in Italy.

Linda Rey, winner of Miss Universe Trans 2016 in Italy

Linda Rey was rumored to join Miss Universe 2016 that will be held in the tropical islands of the Philippines in January of 2017. She is said to represent Italy in the upcoming mega-pageant that will feature the exotic paradise of the Philippines during the course of the pageant. If this issue will confirm that the rumor is true, Linda will be making history as the first transgender to represent their country and join a traditional beauty pageant competition. Basically, Linda will defy the odds as the first transgender that you can see in major beauty pageants.


Sorry, but the rumor is false: Linda Rey is not an official candidate for Miss Universe Italy 2016. If you look at her sash, it is "Miss Universe Transexual" 2016 and not Miss Universe Italy 2016 beauty pageant, which is a local transsexual pageant. This is not a national pageant that was claimed by the sources. Miss Universe Italy 2016 is yet to be crowned this year, or appointed by the Italian franchise holder of Miss Universe Italy that will travel to the Philippines next month. Linda will neither travel nor have any plans coming to the Philippines anytime soon.

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Jenna Talackova

Do you still remember her? She is Jenna Talackova, who made headlines around the world as the first transgender to compete Miss Canada Universe in 2012. The winner of the national pageant will represent Canada in Miss Universe beauty pageant. Jenna was born as Walter and then went into a full hormonal replacement until she underwent a gender reassignment procedure. She is now 26-years-old as of 2016 and still eligible to join for any beauty pageants. However, one of the contestants outed her as a transgender during the course of Miss Canada Universe beauty pageant in 2012.

After one of the contestants outed her as transgender, Miss Canada Universe organization deliberated her case and then disqualified her, which made her case viral over mass media. When Donald Trump discovered the issue about the controversies in Miss Canada Universe, he immediately revamped the rules of Miss Universe Organization, stating that it now allows any transgender candidate to participate in Miss Universe beauty pageant, provided that they will win their national pageant that will gain their right to represent their country. Jenna Talackova was reinstated and then ended up as one of the top 12 finalists of Miss Universe Canada in 2012.

*READ: 5 Reasons why Miss Globe 2016 announced Miss Philippines as 3rd runner-up and Miss South Africa as 4th runner-up late?

Kylan Wenzel

 Kylan Wenzel is another transgender woman who participated in Miss California beauty pageant in 2013. After hearing the news about the case of Jenna Talackova, Kylan did not hesitate to participate in Miss California beauty pageant at the age of 26. Joining a traditional beauty pageant was her dream since she was 11 years old. The winner of Miss California pageant will represent the state of California for Miss USA. If the delegate from the State of California wins, she will represent the United States for Miss Universe beauty pageant.

Miss California pageant organizers do not have any problem with the participation of Kylan Wenzel as one of the 229 contestants. Kylan's participation proves to the society that Miss California is now ready to advocate diversity regardless of race, gender preference, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. In the future, Jenna and Kylan will no longer be the only transgenders who will break the odds for joining traditional beauty pageants. We expect to witness similar scenarios in the future as there are next generation transgenders who will attempt to participate in traditional beauty pageants in the near future.

As an implication of this issue, the world is getting more and more diverse. There are numerous transgenders who are slowly accepted in our society. Local and international organizations are now starting to recognize the participation of some transgenders to a certain event. One example is when a transgender is then allowed to participate in traditional female beauty pageants. Sometime in the future, male transgenders will also participate in male pageants, creating a historic mark for some beauty pageant organizers.

The magic question: Since there are past transgenders who were allowed to join in previous traditional pageants, are you ready for another transgender to participate in traditional beauty pageants?

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