Will There Be A Second Trans Miss Universe Contestant?

Trans women have been eligible to compete for the Miss Universe crown since 2013, but it took until this year for one of our sisters to snatch a crown and qualify for the big show in Spain's Angela Ponce.

There's the possibility she might be joined by another trans Miss Universe contestant from Mongolia

The first ever Miss Mongolia Universe pageant is taking place this year, and one of the fourteen contestants vying for the inaugural crown is 25 year old Solongo Batsukh.



She competed earlier this year for the Miss International Queen title in Pattaya. Wouldn't it be nice if she got to go back to Thailand as the reigning and first ever Miss Universe Mongolia? 

We won;t find out until October 17 if that happens for her, and I hope it does.   I'm sure Miss Universe Spain Angela Ponce wouldn't mind having another trans woman on that Miss Universe stage with her.

TransGriot Update:  It didn't happen for her.  27 year old Dolgion Delgerjav was crowned as the first ever Miss Mongolia Universe.   Since Solongo is only 25, she still has two years to make it happen.  

Miss Colombia Universe 2018 Hatin' On Angela Ponce

Was wondering how long it would take before one of the Miss Universe 2018 contestants opened her pretty mouth and let something horribly transphobic ooze out of it.

That contestant turned out to be Miss Colombia Universe 2018 Valeria Morales. 

The 20 year old Morales made some TERFy remarks aimed at Miss Spain Universe winner Angela Ponce, who was crowned back in July,   When Ponce steps on that Miss Universe stage in Bangkok on December 17, will make history in as the first ever out trans contestant in the pageant's history.

But Morales threw a catty remark at her in a recent Colombian television interview that has gone viral.

"I think that beauty shows like Miss Universe should be for women who are born women, and I think it would be a disadvantage for Ponce too. Therefore, we should respect her but not share it with her," Morales said

Ugh, there's that transphobic 'women born women' line again    How do you say 'trans women are women' en Espanol?

Colombia is also part of the group of national Miss Universe pageant orgs that bars trans women from competing despite the Miss Universe system rules that since 2013,  have allowed them to compete if they qualify. 

While Ponce hasn't directly commented yet about Morales' remarks, she did have this to say several weeks ago concerning folks who are salty about her participation in this year's Miss Universe pageant.

“I would like to tell them [critics] that I am a woman. I am a trans woman and I have the right to be there. So I ask them to respect it because the rules allow me to participate,” she said.

Morales in the wake of the international dragging she's getting, seems to be changing her tune about Ponce's  participation in the pageant. 

"If Miss Universe accepts Angela, I will accept her with love and respect."

Well Ms Morales, that what you should have done before you opened your mouth and inserted those pumps in it. 

We'll see in a few weeks at Miss Universe 2018 if your deeds match your words. 

Ponce is already a winner in exhibiting the one characteristic of a pageant queen you failed to demonstrate in that televised interview. 

Class.

Trans Puerto Ricans Can Compete In Miss Puerto Rico Universe

The Miss Puerto Rico Universe is one of the most competitive pageantry titles on the island.   It also has since 1970 produced five Miss Universe winners in Marisol Malaret, Deborah Carthy-Deu (1985), Dayanara Torres (1993), Denise Quinones (2001) and Zulekya Rivera (2006).

While the Miss Universe pageantry system since 2013 has allowed trans women to compete,  Puerto Rico along with Venezuela, the Philippines and surprisingly Thailand have been among the holdout organizations among the perennial Miss Universe contender nations barring trans women from competing.

But in the wake of a t positive federal court decision earlier this year from US District Judge Carmen Consuelo Cerezo that allows trans Puerto Ricans to update their gender markers, and Angela Ponce's breakthrough win in the Miss Universe Spain pageant, that's changing.

Quinones, took over as the new Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant director in March and has long been an advocate for trans women being allowed to compete. 

She announced during a pageant registration event taking place on the same day that trans Puerto Ricans were allowed to change their gender markers,  that trans women would be allowed to compete in the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant starting in 2019.

Like other contestants, trans Puerto Ricans who are ages 18-27, have changed their documentation and wish to compete in the pageant either must be born on the island,  have one parent who is Puerto Rican or ha lived on the island for 10 years or more, will be allowed to compete for the title.

We'll have to wait until 2019 to see if any trans contestants enter Miss Puerto Rico Universe.  Time will tell if there will be a trans Miss Puerto Rico that wins the title, and goes on to compete at Miss Universe and bring another crown back to the island.

A Trans Woman Is Crowned Miss Universe Spain!

Transgender women have been eligible since 2012 to compete for the Miss Universe title.  It has taken a few years, but when the 2018 edition of the pageant takes place, it is going to have more attention than usual because there will finally be a trans contestant vying for the crown.

And nope, she won't be from the Philippines or Thailand.

25 year old Angela Ponce from Spain will be the trans woman making that history.   She captured the Miss Universe Spain crown Saturday night, beating 20 other beauties for the crown.

This isn't the first time Ponce has attempted to represent Spain by winning one of the Big Four international pageant titles. 

In 2015 she competed in the Miss World Spain pageant after capturing the title from her home region of Cadiz, Spain but was unsuccessful in doing so.

When Miss Universe 2018 finally happens later this year, there will probably be a larger than usual viewing audience checking it out. 

I can also guarantee that trans women from around the world, where we compete in the pageant world or not, will be tuned in to Miss Universe to cheer Angela on.

Miss Universe Japan 2015 Is A Sistah!

I've always been a pageant junkie going back to my childhood and one of my fave pageants to watch is Miss Universe.  

I'm still waiting for the first transfeminine contestant to hit the Miss Universe stage, but until them I'm rooting for the girls of the African Diaspora, wherever they come from, to do well.

When the Miss Universe system finally names the date and location of the next pageant, I'll be glued to the TV watching it because of an unexpected sistah contestant.

When the Miss Universe Japan pageant was held in March, the winner was 21 year old Ariana Miyamoto of Nagasaki.    

She has an interesting backstory.  She was born in Japan today in 1994 (Happy birthday sister Taurus!) to an Japanese mother and an African-American father in Sasebo.   After attending elementary school in Nagasaki, Japan, her parents divorced and she emigrated to the US to attend high school in her father's hometown of Jacksonville, Arkansas before the 1.73 m (5'8") beauty returned to Japan to become a model.

She entered the Miss Universe Japan pageant after a biracial friend of hers committed suicide, and represented her hometown of Nagasaki in the pageant.   The moment she was crowned starts at the 6:00 minute mark.

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Ariana's Miss Universe Japan win has caused some controversy there because in the eyes of some of her critics, she isn't Japanese enough despite being born there, a Japanese citizen, currently residing in that nation, her mother being full blooded Japanese, having fifth degree mastery of calligraphy and she being a fluent Japanese speaker.

And I do have some memories of Jesse Jackson having to make a few trips to Japan starting in the 90's to tackle anti-Black attitudes there.

Miyamoto's win has also opened the doors to a conversation in Japan about what it means to be Japanese in a multi-racial world.  At the same time it also gives African-Americans an opportunity to understand what life is like for a Black woman living in Japan and if it has improved since those contentious 1990's.

Miyamoto is eager to use her newfound fame to facilitate that conversation.  She's hoping her selection as Miss Universe Japan will help change attitudes in her nation toward people of color.

“I want to start a revolution,” Miyamoto said with a laugh. “I can’t change things overnight, but in 100-200 years there will be very few pure Japanese left, so we have to start changing the way we think.”

Ariana is not the first, nor the last Japanese person with African-American heritage they will see in a nation that is 98.5% ethnic Japanese and is not as monoracial as it thinks it is.

And yeah, just goes to show you how beautiful Black women are, no matter what nation they reside in

Congratulations Ariana!   Hope to see you rock the Miss Universe stage in a few months as you attempt to become the first Japanese Miss Universe winner since 2007.

Miss Universe 2013 Lets Her Transphobic Slip Show

It didn't take long for the newly crowned Miss Universe 2013 pageant queen to let her mouth get her embroiled in a little controversy.

Gabriela Isler revealed during a HuffPost Live interview that she believed transwomen shouldn't be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe pageant but should compete in their own pageants.

"They should have their own pageant, I think, and maybe they can realize in this pageant, Miss Universe, or the other pageants [were] made for women," she said. "They are... they have the opportunity, but I think that they have to compete with the same... the same team. Right?"

Ah, the old separate but unequal solution rears its head again.  It's also not surprising that as the former Miss Venezuela she comes from one of the few Miss Universe national pageant systems that still bars transwomen from competing. 

And Gabriela, in case you weren't aware of it, and obviously you aren't, trans women have had since the 80's pageants we can compete in.  The Miss International Queen one has been happening for nearly a decade along with national ones like Miss Amazing Philippine Beauties, Miss Tiffany Universe in Thailand and the recently started Miss T Brazil.

But those trans women specific pageants pale in comparison to the international prestige and prize money available to a pageant winner in the Miss Universe or Miss World pageant systems.

Her fellow trans Venezuelans who competed in Miss International Queen 2013, Chanel and Nohemi Montilla will probably cosign that last paragraph. 

And before you throw that surgery shade at trans women, some of you so-called 'natural born women' have had snip and tuck work done to enhance your chances of walking away with a pageant crown on more than a few occasions.  I also know trans women who have the Coke bottle curves not because of the surgeon's knife or pumping but simply because HRT was very good to them. 

And we know next to Brazil, Venezuela is the plastic surgery capital of the South American continent.

I guess The Donald didn't make Gabriela aware of the fact than in the wake of the Jenna Talackova situation in which she had to prep a lawsuit to be able to compete in last year's Miss Canada Universe pageant, as of January 1 the Miss Universe system that she now is the reigning queen of allows post operative trans women to compete. 

Olivia Culpo, the previous Miss Universe who you succeeded had the opposite opinion. 

As for transfeminine contestants during this 2013 Miss Universe pageant cycle, unfortunately made it through their national pageants to make the Miss Universe stage in Moscow this year.  Kylan Wentzel, the only trans woman the international trans community is aware of who attempted to do so didn't win Miss California, and even if she had, she would have had to win Miss USA to get there.  

There were rumors in other nations such as the Philippines that Miriam Jimenez was contemplating entering their national pageant but as the entry deadlines approached it didn't happen.

Does the fact that Talackova finished in the Top 12 of Canada's national pageant last year and was one of four women who won Miss Congeniality 'scurr' y'all in Pageant World that one day you will lose a pageant crown to a trans woman?

That day is coming as little trans girls mature into trans teens who will someday hit that 18-27 age range that makes them eligible to compete for and one day hopefully win Miss Universe.

And that day is coming sooner than you think.  

Sheena Monnin Still Owes The Donald And Miss Universe $5 Million

Remember Sheena Monnin, the transphobic 2012 Miss Pennsylvania pageant queen who threw shade at Jenna Talackova and made the sour grapes tinged accusation the Miss USA pageant was rigged? 

The Donald as the co-owner of the Miss Universe pageant system sued, alleging that Monnin's accusation cost them a $5 million fee from a potential 2013 pageant sponsor and she lost a December arbitration hearing.

She also inserted herself in the at the time news surrounding Jenna Talackova competing for the 2012 Miss Canada Universe crown by shadily using her as a excuse to resign the Miss Pennsylvania Universe 2012 crown June 4 after she failed to make the Top 15 in the 2012 Miss USA pageant won by eventual Miss Universe Olivia Culpo.

“I refuse to be part of a pageant system that has so far and so completely removed itself from its foundational principles as to allow and support natural born males to compete in it,” Monnin's resignation email said. “This goes against ever moral fiber of my being.”

Well, she's in the news again because she tried to get the adverse arbitrator decision against her overturned and failed. 

U.S. District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken upheld the arbitrator’s decision that Monnin sought to have overturned on the grounds that the arbitrator overstepped his authority, his decision disregarded law, and she didn’t know the arbitration hearing was taking place.

Judge Oetken, who was appointed by President Obama to the federal bench in July 2011 said otherwise.  Judge Oetken BTW is the first openly gay man appointed to the federal bench, so I found it it deliciously ironic he received this case.

And yeah, karma is a rhymes with itch.    Miss Moral Fiber 2012 still owes The Donald and the Miss Universe pageant system $5 million.

What, Fox Noise hasn't called you for a fembot commentating gig yet?  Gee, I wonder why? 

Kylan Steps On The Miss California USA Stage Today!

Kylan Wenzel makes history today when she steps onto the Pasadena Convention Center stage along with 229 other contestants vying for the Miss California USA title.

She's the first ever out trans person in the United States to compete in the Miss Universe pageant system and has the goal of attempting to become the first trans Miss USA and trans Miss Universe. 

But the first and hardest leg of the journey happens today as she tries to become one of the 20 women left standing for Sunday's semifinals.

She was interviewed on Anderson Cooper's talk show yesterday, and here's the video from it.



Good luck, Kylan!

May Be A While Before We See A Trans Miss Universe

While trans women aged 18-27 now have the opportunity starting this year in the Miss Universe pageant system to enter the pageant and become Miss Universe (and those of us beyond competition age are happy for you) bear in mind it may take a few years before you not only see a trans Miss USA crowned, but a trans Miss Universe.

The Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants have been around since 1952, but it took until 1977 for an African descended woman to win Miss Universe (Janelle Commissiong of Trinidad and Tobago) and an African-American woman until 1995 (Chelsi Smith) to win both the Miss USA and Miss Universe titles.

And Texas bragging alert, Chelsi was from the Houston metro area as well.

As far as the Miss USA color line goes, Jayne Harrison made it to the top 15 as Miss Ohio in 1970.  Future Oscar winning actress and another Miss Ohio Halle Berry fell just short of making that history as a first runner up for the Miss USA crown in 1986. 

Four years later Carole Gist achieved that historic breakthrough win as the first ever African-American Miss USA.  She was also the first ever African-American Miss Michigan USA and nearly made it a clean sweep as the first ever African-American Miss Universe. 

Gist finished first runner up in the 1990 Miss Universe competition later that year in Los Angeles.  

So American trans family, be prepared for a possibly long wait until we see a trans woman crowned Miss USA or Miss Universe.  While many of the national Miss Universe pageants will accept the new open competition rules, there are some notable transphobic holdouts such as Mexico and Venezuela. 

But the bottom line as Jenna Talackova proved last year, to have a chance to win your national crown and be in the Miss Universe mix you have to be in the competition in the first place. 

For an American trans woman, first she would have to win her statewide pageant to get to the Miss USA stage, then win that pageant to get to Miss Universe.  If you live in competitive and populous pageant states like California or Texas that's a tall order. 

Those two states combined have won it 15 times with the Texas rep winning it 9 times.  If that transwoman is a Texan, she will find herself in a pageant that has more contestants in it than Miss USA (51) or Miss Universe (70-90 on average).  There have been years in which the Miss Texas USA pageant has had over 100 women competing in it.

The odds get a little longer if that transwoman in question also happens to be a transwoman of color. 

If that is your dream trans woman of color, go for it.  Prove me wrong.   Nothing would make me happier than to write the post announcing you to the world as a Miss Universe pageant winner and seeing current Miss Universe Olivia Culpo or a future one crown you.. And don't forget, they offer you a college scholarship along with all those cool prizes and that one year contract.  

And as Crystle Stewart and others former titleholders can tell you, it can lead to other media opportunities as well.

I'm hearing that some transwomen in various countries may attempt to enter their national pageants in order to qualify for Miss Universe 2013 and I wish them the best of luck in doing so.  

But seeing a transwoman wear that crown may take a while.     


TransGriot Note: First photo is Janelle Commissiong  middle one is Halle Berry, and the last photo is of former Miss USA and Miss Texas USA Crystle Stewart wearing her Miss Texas crown.  .

You're Still A Winner In Our Eyes, Jenna

With the eyes of the world focused on Toronto for a historic finals night for the 2012 Miss Canada Universe pageant, 23 year old Jenna Talackova was not only competing for the right to represent her nation in the Miss Universe event in December, but an entire worldwide community of transwomen.

She did make it to the 12 semifinalist round, but unfortunately not to the five finalists one.

But as I've said for a few days now, even if she didn't walk out with the Miss Canada Universe crown last night and I presume she's probably disappointed she didn't, she's still a winner.  

Talackova fought for her place in this pageant after being unjustly disqualified by the bogus and transphobic 'natural born womna' rule.  Because she did so she eventually broke through a glass ceiling that allowed her to be on stage with 64 other Canadian women and will make it  easier (we hope) for the next transwoman who wishes to compete in her Miss Universe system national pageant.

In the process of tenaciously fighting for her dream to happen, she gave transwomen around the world an opportunity to jump start educational conversations about who we are, how transphobic and wrong that rule was and what we are capable of doing if we're just given the opportunity to try.

It's never easy to be a trailblazer, and Jenna did so with class and dignity.   Her sister contestants agree with me since she was one of three women who tied for the Miss Congeniality award for this 2012 pageant. 

It'll be interesting moving forward from this date to see what transpires next for Jenna in the future and see if she makes come true her stated goals of becoming a Victoria's Secret model and getting the swimsuit cover of Sports Illustrated.

I have the feeling that this determined young woman somehow will make it happen and expand the boundaries of what is possible for #girlslikeus.

You're still a winner in our eyes, Jenna.   

Good Luck Jenna!

Jenna Talackova has arrived in Toronto for the Miss Canada Universe pageant and what she hopes will be a successful history making conclusion to the end of her week of competition.

As you loyal TransGriot readers are aware of she fought a pitched battle to remain a contestant in the 2012 Miss Canada Universe pageant after she was disqualified under the bogus 'natural born woman' rule.

That rule was instituted by pageant owner Donald Trump after the 2001 Miss Universe pageant competition in Puerto Rico included rumors that Miss France Elodie Gossuin was a transwoman.


Talackova was reinstated after her dismissal sparked worldwide outrage, an online petition that garnered over 30,000 signatures and saw Los Angeles based attorney Gloria Allred taking up her case. 

The natural born woman' rule has been dropped and all national pageants in the Miss Universe system starting in 2013 will be open to transwomen in those nations who meet the Miss Universe pageant contestant eligibility requirements.


But many pageant fans eyes around the world this week will turn toward the Great White North and be focused on the 23 year old Talackova's history making turn as the first open transwomen to compete in a predominately cis female pageant. 

You still have time to vote for Jenna in the Miss Canada Universe's People's Choice Award that will be announced on May 17

The people checking out the happenings in Toronto will include my pageant happy transsisters from the Philippines and Thailand and probably China's Chen Lili.   She was the 2004 Miss China delegate but was denied the opportunity to compete because of that now defunct 'natural born woman' rule.  

She's got 65 people she's competing against for the honor of representing Canada in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant that is scheduled.to be held in December 2012 in a venue to be determined.  

If she does win the Miss Universe Canada one, she would make history again as the first open trans contestant to compete and win her national pageant in addition to becoming the first transwoman to openly compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

Wouldn't that cause a major spike in the television ratings for the 2012 Miss Universe pageant?

Best of luck Jenna.  Your trans sisters in your home and native land and around the globe are rooting for you to win. 

Even if you don't leave Toronto on May 19 with the crown, you did something far more important by fighting an injustice aimed at you, jump starting a worldwide conversation about our humanity, femininity and getting people to recognize how transphobic and stupid that 'natural born woman' rule was.

You also smashed a glass ceiling by getting this iconic pageant system to open its doors to young transwomen around the world who may have dreamed of winning this title and can now make it happen.

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The Talackova Press Conference

There was a press conference yesterday in Los Angeles as Canadian transwoman Jenna Talackova continued her fight along with her attorney Gloria Allred to take down the odiously transphobic 'natural born woman' rule that the Miss Universe pageant system has used since 2001 to bar trans contestants from competing in it.

Here's the money video from that press conference courtesy of CNN.

Talackova Will Be Allowed To Compete In Miss Canada Universe Pageant

Amazing what a little international publicity, a Change.org pettition with over 40,000 signatures, social media outrage and hiring Gloria Allred as your attorney will do to overcome blatant anti-trans discrimination.

The Trump-owned Miss Universe organization bowed to the media firestorm and reversed their decision to bar Ms. Talackova from the Miss Universe Canada pageant because she was trans.   The 23 year old Vancouver born beauty was selected as one of the 65 contestants to participate in the May 19 event in Toronto.


“The Miss Universe Organization will allow Jenna Talackova to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada pageant provided she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions,” Michael D. Cohen, executive vice president and special counsel to Donald Trump, said in an email.

Talackova was scheduled to appear in a press conference in Los Angeles with Allred later today to outline why she should be allowed to compete and the steps Allred was preparing to take on behalf of her client if it didn't happen.

The Miss Universe Canada website states that to enter, women must be a Canadian citizen between the ages of 18 and 27.  If basic requirements are met, they are asked to fill out a longer application form.  The entry form does not mention any rules against sexual reassignment surgery or plastic surgery.

The nebulous 'natural born woman' rule they instituted in 2001 was bull feces to begin with.  Hopefully the Miss Universe organization will permanently do away with that discriminatory and transphobic rule so that transwomen who desire to compete in the Miss Universe national pageants around the world and meet the entrance requirements will no longer be barred from doing so. 

Good luck Jenna.  You're on your way to making some trans history when you step on the stage next month.   I and your transsisters around the world hope that you at least make the semifinalist round in the Miss Canada Universe pageant.

And if you're blessed enough to win the 2012 Miss Canada Universe title, we'll be cheering for you at the Miss Universe pageant in December