Miss Chile Universe Has A Trans Contestant!

When Erin Grinde Tunheim's attempt to win Miss Norway Universe resulted in her finishing as the third runner up in this pageant, with the number of Miss Universe national pageants quickly dwindling, I believed that the international trans community had run out of chances to have another trans beauty walk a Miss Universe pageant stage in 2019.

I wasn't aware until yesterday that we had another trans woman qualify for her national pageant, and this time it wasn't in Europe.

The person who would attempt to make that history was in Chile, and she is 26 year old model Gera Saint Garriga.   She won the Miss Santiago title, which punched her ticket to the national pageant held in Punta Arenas that had her competing against 17 other women from across the nation.

Saint Garriga was motivated to do so after seeing Angela Ponce win Miss Spain Universe and compete in last year's Miss Universe in Bangkok.    She is proud to not only be the first out trans person person in her nation to qualify for a national Miss Universe pageant, but the first out trans person to do so in South America, Latin America and the Western Hemisphere.

While she made it as one of the five finalists, the Miss Universe Chile crown went to 19 year old Geraldine Gonzalez, who will be Chile's representative at Miss Universe. 

Saint Garriga finished third

Will We Have A Trans Miss Norway Universe?

If you're wondering if there will be ever another trans woman gracing the Miss Universe stage in the wake of Spain's Angela Ponce doing so, the answer to that question is maybe.

We have already had two trans women in this Miss Universe 2019 competition cycle attempt to do so in Brazil and Puerto Rico,  but neither advanced to their national pageant stages. 

Nathalie Oliveira competed in the Miss Rio de Janeiro Universe pageant back in January.   While she was a first runner up at the 2016 Miss International Queen trans pageant in Pattaya, Thailand,  she failed to advance to the Miss Brazil pageant stage.

The same was the case for Puerto Rico's Daniela Arroyo.   She got a callback for the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant, but wasn't selected as one of the final 29 contestants. 

The latest trans woman who will attempt to win her nation's Miss Universe pageant crown is Norway's Eirin Grinde Tunheim.

The 26 year old is of Thai, Cambodian heritage, and is a dental student who speaks five languages.



She is the first out trans person to make the 12 person field that selects Norway's representative in the Miss Universe Pageant.

The Miss Norway Universe pageant finals will take place in August, and we will learn at that time if Eirin makes history again by becoming the first trans Miss Norway and the second out trans woman to be able to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

Good luck to Eirin, and hope she does grace the Miss Universe 2019 stage later this year.   I also hope she goes farther in the competition and actually makes the 15 semifinalists.

TransGriot Update:  Eirin was third runner up in the pageant 

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.