Since I mentioned the Miss International Queen Pageant in conjunction with the post I just composed about the 2007 Miss Tiffany Universe Pageant, thought I'd take a moment to drop some knowledge about it.
Thais, like Texans, Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans love pageants and take them seriously. Because of the increasing popularity and attention the Miss Tiffany's Universe pageant garnered across Asia Japanese and Korean transwomen entered the competition. The language barriers they encountered inspired the sponsors of the Miss Tiffany Universe Pageant to create the Miss International Queen one in 2004 and restrict the Miss Tiffany Universe to Thai contestants only.
For a three year old pageant, it has rapidly become a sought after title. It offers a $10,000 USD first place prize in addition to the trophy, crown and other prizes. Like its sister pageant Miss Tiffany International the finals are televised live on Thai television.
A similar four year old transgender beauty pageant in Manila, the Amazing Phillipines Beauty Contest sent its winner to the Miss International Queen. 
The first Miss International Queen in 2004 was won by a Thai, Treechada Petcharat. In 2005 Mimi Marks from Chicago's Baton club and a former 1992 Miss Continental winnerwon over the Thai and Korean runners-up in what was considered by the Thais an upset. In last year's Miss International Pageant held October 23-28 San Antonio based Erica Andrews, representing Mexico beat out Patricia Montecarlo from the Phillipines and the Thai rep Ratravee Jiraprapakul to take the crown.
The Donald may want to reconsider the 2004 decision made by the Miss Universe organization banning transwomen from participating. It was done in the wake of transwoman Chen Lili winning the Miss China pageant that qualified her to compete in Miss Universe several yers ago. Transgender pageants have not only grown and proliferated around the world since the 1980's, they are beginning to garner attention and stature that used to be reserved for the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss America systems.
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