As many of you TransGriot readers know, I was one of the judges for the inaugural Miss Trans Global virtual pageant.
After two months of interviews and videos, paring down the initial 18 contestants from around the world down to a Top 15 and then down to ten semifinalists, we finally know who was crowned Miss Trans Global.
Congratulations to our new queen. Mela Franco Habijan from the Philippines!
The Miss Trans Global Top 5 was tight.point wise. One point separated the queen from the Duchess Global (1st runner up) Rebeckah Lovejoy of Australia.
It was not an easy job for me and my fellow judges to sort out who would win this inaugural title. There were nights I had to review video multiple times for several hours before casting my ballots.
The quality of the women vying for this inaugural Miss Trans Global title was just that outstanding, and they brought their pageant A games.
Rounding out the Top 5 in addition to Duchess Global (1st runner up) Rebeckah Lovejoy of Australia. is Baroness Global, Danielly Drugge of Sweden (4th runner up) ,Countess Global (3rd runner up) Semakaleng Mothapo of South Africa, and Marchioness Global (2nd runner up) Veso Golden of Ghana.
Congratulations once again to Mela and the inaugural court of Miss Trans Global 2020!
It was an honor and sincere privilege to be part of the judging panel for this inaugural Miss Trans Global pageant. I enjoyed being part of the judging panel for this event and getting to know my sister judges and the contestants as this event unfolded.
I'm looking forward to not only working with our queen as her reign unfolds, but with all the 2020 contestants as opportunities present themselves for advancing the human rights of our international trans family.
It was also nice to be part of the judging team for a pageant system in which intelligence was prized, and the scoring system reflected it. . Congrats to Miss Sahhara and her Miss Trans Global production team for making her vision of a virtual international pageant happen.
Here's hoping that Miss Trans Global 2021 is bigger and better than this year's edition turned out to be.
I was asked back in May to be one of the panel of judges for the inaugural London based Miss Trans Global pageant.
One of the things y'all don't know about me, but probably should have guessed from my coverage of the Miss International Queen and mainstream cisgender ones like Miss USA and Miss Universe on this blog is that I love pageants, especially the trans ones.
And yeah, I have been honored to be asked to judge a few of them back in the day.
When Sahhara laid out her vision about Miss Trans Global, it spoke to me because I have always felt that the interview portion of pageants should be more heavily weighted in the scoring than talent,and evening gown.
I also loved the fact that it is a trans feminine conceived, led and run project, with the three member Miss Trans Global leadership team having pageant and show business experience..
Also important to me is that the scoring and judging system that has been set up for Miss Trans Global will be one that is fair and transparent for the contestants.
Transparency and fairness at times has been a challenging concept for many trans pageant systems including Miss International Queen.
But back to talking about my major beef with many trans pageants besides fair and impeccably scrupulous judging.
It does you no good as a pageant owner or organizer to have a gorgeous pageant queen who looks stunning in a gown, has talent, but has subpar oratory skills and is clueless as hell when it comes to current events going on outside of Pageant World .
A trans pageant contestant whether they like it or not, once they put on that sash and crown, is seen by elements of society as a representation of the trans community.
Heavily weighing the interview portion is something that occurs with the Mr and Miss Black Trans International pageant that happens during the week long Black Trans Advocacy Conference (BTAC).
The reason it happens is because in large part the BTIPS pageant winners become the spokespersons and faces of our org for the next year of their reign..
So what's Miss Trans Global? It is an international online pageant for trans and gender nonconforming people 18 and up from all backgrounds to raise awareness on transgender and LGB issues around the world. Most importantly to me, unlike the Thai based Miss International Queen one, Miss Trans Global has a diverse group of judges. .
So yes, a trans pageant queen needs to be more than a pretty face. She also needs to be a woman with substance. It's why I eagerly jumped at the chance when asked to be named to this year's international panel of judges for this inaugural Miss Trans Global pageant/.
The Miss Trans Global Pageant has 18 contestants from four continents, Africa, Asia, North and South America competing. The pageant is running online from July 1-30, with the crowning of the winner to take place on August 1.
You interested peeps also get a say on which one of our contestants makes it to our Top 15, semifinal and final rounds. For your vote to count,, you must like the Miss Trans Global Facebook page before choosing your fave contestants
So handle your business. Check out the contestants on your favorite social media platform and then vote for your faves.
Check out The Queen's Speech preliminary part of this pageant in which all the contestants submitted videos that discussed what they would do if they were honored with the Miss Trans Global crown.
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Looking forward to finding out along with all of you peeps worldwide who will be the inaugural winner of the Miss Trans Global virtual trans pageant.
You're also about to find out what I have known for years. Trans is not only beautiful, but we have some intelligent, classy and talented women in our ranks.,
2019 has been been a historic year in the pageant world, and one we won't forget for a long time.
In 2019 all six of the major pageants, Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, Miss America, Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International Queen all crowned Black women as their pageant royalty
The Miss International Queen one based in Thailand is a pageant for transgender women. Harvey was its first ever African descended winner in their 15 year history.
So congrats to Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa, Miss World 2019 Toni- Ann Singh of Jamaica, Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst, Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin, Miss Teen USA 2019 Kaleigh Garris and Miss International Queen 2019 Jazell Harvey
And two of the women won with natural hair styles in Miss Universe and Miss Tenn USA.
Congrats to all these Black women who have made this a historic year in pageantry and one that has been a long time in coming.
It also drives home the point that Black women are indeed beautiful in all their marvelous shades.
I always love a good trans pageant, and have even been a judge in two of them.
Next weekend on September 21 the Mr and Miss Trans USA 2020 Pageant takes place in Milwaukee, and I have people I know competing for both crowns that are currently held by Abs Hart and Candi Stratton.
On the Mr Trans side my BTAC homey Jevon Martin is one of the five titleholders competing as Mr New York Trans USA, and you know I'm rooting for him to take that crown back to NYC.
On the Miss Trans USA side one of the 15 people competing is my homegirl Jody Cofer Randall, who will be repping the Lone Star State at this event as Miss Texas Trans USA.
For those of you who are in the Milwaukee area and wish to check it out, the pageant will be held at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts- Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall
It also means on that night Candi and Abs' reigns will be over and they will crown their successors.
While I'm wishing good luck to all the contestants competing next week, we'll see if Jevon and Jody handle their pageant business next Saturday and go back home with their respective crowns
I mentioned I had a late Friday night that saw me getting back home at 3:30 AM, only to bounce right back out the door 2.5 hours later to go to Dallas.
But it was well worth the sleep it cost me to see and talk to Jennicet Gutierrez, Sara Ramirez, Bamby Salcedo and Ruby Corado in one shot here in my hometown along with many of our Houston area advocates and allies.
And oh yeah, a pageant broke out while I was there.
It was the second annual Mr and Miss Trans OLTT pageant at Club Crysta in southwest Houston. It would not only choose the new OLTT royalty was that would represent the organization during their reign, but served as a fundraiser for the organization. All the tips for the performers were also donated,
As for the pageant business at hand, the new Miss Trans OLTT is Catalina Ramos, with the Mr Trans OLTT crown going to Fabian Echeverria.
Ramos was the favorite going into the event, and she proved why in dominating fashion, capturing five category awards on her way to the Miss Trans OLTT crown and the $500 first place prize.
Congrats to Catalina and Fabian! I know we'll be seeing them at many of the Houston area community events representing OLTT and the Latinx trans community.
And congrats to Kassandra and Mo for their trailblazing reigns as the first Mr and Miss Trans OLTT.
'The anti-Black, pro-Asian and pro Miss Tiffany showgirl bias has got to end in order for the Miss International Queen trans pageant to have international credibility with people around the world who are thinking about competing in it.'
-TransGriot, March 2, 2018
Since 2004 the Thailand based Miss International Queen pageant has billed itself as the most prestigious transgender beauty pageant on the planet. It has grown to that status in large part because until recently, trans women were barred from participating in the major pageants systems like Miss World and Miss Universe.
The 2019 edition of the Miss International Queen pageant will be crowning its newest queen in Pattaya on March 8 (March 7 our time).
It also has a dubious distinction that smacks of anti-Blackness.. In the decade plus history of the MIQ pageant, it has NEVER crowned a Black winner.
Two have been first runner up (2011, Miss SaHHara, 2015, Valesca Dominik Ferraz). Stasha Sanchez finished as a second runner up in 2010.
There are peeps, myself included, who still believe Miss SaHHara was robbed of the 2011 MIQ title. The Thai contestant, Sirapassorn Atthayakorn horribly botched her final interview, but STILL shockingly won.
Then again it shouldn't have been a shock, since she like all four Thai MIQ queens, she won the Miss Tiffany's pageant. Tiffany's Cabaret in Pattaya is the host venue for that Thai trans only Miss Tiffany's pageant that produces the Thai rep to MIQ and the Miss International Queen one.
This history of shady MIQ anti-Blackness and favoritism for Miss Tiffany Cabaret showgirls has discouraged many Black trans contestants from even plunking down their hard earned money for entry fees and attempting to make that long trip to Thailand to attempt to snatch that crown.
That shady treatment of Black MIQ contestants is a major reason why I stopped writing posts about this pageant as well.
This year Jazell Barbie Royale is the lone African descended contestant in this 2019 Miss International Queen event. She captured the 2016 Miss Continental title, and is attempting to break that negative MIQ cycle, rep the USA and make some history as its first ever Black winner.
If she does so, she would also become the first American winner since 2005 when Mimi Marks took the MIQ crown.
Wishing you the best of luck, Jazell.
We'll see if Jazell does so, or is just the latest Black contestant to fall victim to the anti-Blackness permeating the Miss International Queen pageant system.
The big event today is the 2018 Mr and Miss Black Trans International Pageant later tonight
Mr.Black Trans International 2017 Trenton Johnson and Miss Black Trans International Tiffany Starr will crown their successors from the group of contestants vying for their crowns.
While those contestants are undergoing another step to hopefully snatching the BTIPS crowds with their interviews, the seminar tracks continue.
As those of you who got to see the live feeds witnessed, the Trans Manifest Live was off the chain. It gets better and better every year, and next year I'm coming with some original poetry
At noon we also have another highly anticipated event with the BTAC 2018 Empowerment Keynote Luncheon
The Black Transmen, Inc Keynote speaker this year will be Jonathan Thunderword, and the Black Transwomen, Inc .Keynote speaker is Diamond Stylz.
At 2:00 PM we pick up with Part 2 of the Black Trans Community Summit in which we will have a chance to talk with the Dallas PD's LGBTQ Liasion Amber Roman as past of the discussion on Dating, Love and anti-Trans Violence.
If will be followed by the pageant at 8 PM to crown the new Mr. and Miss Black Trans 2018.
Jiratchaya Sirimongkolnawin was crowned on March 10 as the newest Miss International Queen winner. The runner ups in Miss International Queen 2017 were a pair of girls from South America. First runner up was Nathalie Oliveira of Brazil and the second runner up was Andrea Collazo of Venezuela.
While I ain't mad at those girls who won or were the first and second runners up, I've had a problem with Miss International Queen on a lot of levels since 2011.
My dissatisfaction with this so-called most prestigious premiere international pageant for trans women has only increased since I wrote this post in the wake of the controversial end of the 2011 pageant calling for Miss International Queen to have an international judging panel.
I have serious questions about the impartiality of an all Thai panel with uncomfortable connections to the host Tiffany's venue, and also have serious concerns that those Thai judges have a cultural bias against dark skin girls.
If that's not the case, then why has there in the history of this MIQ pageant NEVER been a Black trans woman to win it, and only three who have even placed in the top three of the pageant since 2004?
Black trans girls across the African Diaspora don't even bother trying to enter the Miss International Queen pageant because of the perceived anti-Black bias.
It's also problematic when all four Thai winners of the Miss International Queen title also won the Thai only Miss Tiffany's Thai pageant that year, and the Tiffany's show bar in Pattaya is the host venue for Miss International Queen.
So nope, still going to be giving Miss International Queen the side eye until they decide to make the changes necessary that will take the pageant to the next level, make it a truly international event, and people who wish to compete in it don't feel like it's rigged in favor of a Thai or Asian trans girl.
One of the things I like to point out is that your family expands, not contracts after you transition, and in many cases those family members you gain are your trans siblings around the world.
One of those people I've had the pleasure of getting to know is my Brazilian sis Aleikasandria Barros. Since her reign as Miss Trans Universo 2015 is coming to an end and she'll have to return to Italy to crown her successor, I wanted to take a moment to give her a TransGriot shoutout.
Thanks Aleika for representing yourself, your nation and our community while wearing the Miss Trans Universo crown.
The Miss Trans Universo pageant is taking place on December 10, and it's on that night in Perugia, Italy she will crown her successor.
I've had the pleasure of getting to know Aleika for the last few years, and I've had some interesting conversations with her about a variety of subjects along the way.
In addition to being involved in the pageant world, she's passionate about causes near and dear to all of our hearts around the world in the eradication of transphobia, educating about our lives, the expansion of our human rights and building sisterhood in our ranks.
I have much admiration and pride for my sisters who compete in the pageant world. They are not only my sisters, they also have an important role to play in the advancement of our community's human rights in our various nations and around the world.
I've seen that firsthand since I have been in the position a few times of being a trans pageant judge. My pageant sisters at times are also advocates. They are not only serving as community ambassadors facilitating conversations between the cis and trans communities, there are qualities and things that you learn while competing in pageants that also translate to life outside the pageant world.
I'm eagerly looking forward to the day, like I am with all my international sisters, that I finally get to meet Aleika in person.
Congrats on your amazing year as Miss Trans Universo Aleika! May the blessings continue to flow for you in 2017 and beyond.
In case you're wondering how my British sis via Nigeria Miss SaHHara fared in the just concluded Miss Trans Star International pageant in Barcelona, she ended up placing in the top 5 finalists for it.
But along the way to her top 5 finish in Spain, she also shed light on the horrific way that Nigeria treats trans folks like herself and same gender loving people there by jailing them for up to 14 years.
She dealt with imprisonment, anti-trans street harassment. two suicide attempts and transphobic bullying from her family in her native Nigeria before leaving for London in 2004. She is a singer-songwriter, model and the founding director of the TransValid NGO.
"There is no way I could have survived in Nigeria. That is why I had to leave."
After arriving in London, she performed at Madam Jojo's Kitsch Cafe until it closed in November 2014, earned a master's degree in digital media from London Metropolitan University, has walked the runways of London Fashion Week in addition to competing in trans beauty pageants around the globe.
Along the way Miss SaHHara is becoming an internationally recognized voice when it comes to eloquently discussing gender identity issues and as she has said, 'being a voice for the voiceless in Nigeria'.
Nigeria's loss of her talents and intellect because of their transphobic idiocy is Great Britain's gain.
"London gave me my opportunity to pursue my dreams and be my true self." Miss SaHHara said in an interview. "I'm hoping that by speaking out and coming to Miss Star, I will try to influence people or perhaps my government to revoke 14 years of imprisonment for LGBT people in Nigeria."
Miss Brazil Rafaela Manfrini was crowned Miss Trans Star International 2016. Ta'alin Abu Hanna of Israel was first runner up.
As for what's next for Miss SaHHara? Stay tuned.
I have no doubt that whatever this talented woman puts her mind to accomplishing, she will achieve it.
While we're waiting for the first trans contestant to walk a Miss Universe stage, in the interim we pageant junkies do have several international trans pageants to watch and root for our sisters who are competing in them around the world.
We still have several national Miss Universe organizations (Mexico, Venezuela) that even though the parent Miss Universe organization's rules allows qualified trans women who are 18-27 to enter and compete, they transphobically refuse to allow trans entrants.
The longest running trans pageant open to international contestants with international recognition has been the Thailand based Miss International Queen one that I've covered on these TransGriot electronic pages. The Thais also have the Miss Tiffany pageant for Thai trans women only that happens in May.
In the pageant happy Philippines, there's not only the local and regional trans pageants that model and advocate Geena Rocero once competed in as a tennager, but the Amazing Philippine Beauties national one. There are also other national trans pageants that are popping up in various nations around the globe.
In the United States, we have the prestigious Miss Continental Pageant that has been around since it was founded by Jim Flint in 1980 and just concluded its annual Labor Day weekend competition to crown its new queen yesterday.
Miss International Queen one has been around since 2004 and currently has the most international acclaim and news coverage since that time. It has become a sought after title for trans women around the globe. But with increasing criticism of its all Thai judges panel that got louder after a controversial 2011 end to it, exacerbated by the fact there has never been an African descended girl win Miss International Queen, much less a dark skinned beauty period, I'm not surprised that other international trans pageants are popping up in different parts of the world.
One of those new trans pageants is the now five year old Barcelona based Miss Trans Star International Pageant. It came up on my radar last year because my Brazilian homegirl Aleikasandria Barros was competing in it last year and finished as the first runner up.
Aleika's disappointment at not walking away with that title didn't last long. In December she captured the Miss Trans Universe title that was held in Italy.
This fifth anniversary version of it will be taking place September 16-17, and one of the 28 women entered in the 2016 edition of this pageant is another one of my international trans homegirls in Miss SaHHara. She'll be representing her birth nation of Nigeria, and she was the runner up at Miss International Queen in 2011.
Well, you know I'll have my eye on this upcoming pageant. Best of luck to my sis Miss SaHHara and all the women competing in Barcelona for this title.
22 year old Isabella Santiago beat out 21 contestants from 18 nations to win the tenth edition of the Miss International Queen Pageant in Pattaya, Thailand on November 7.
Santiago is the first ever Miss International Queen winner from her nation that has regularly tasted success in Miss Universe competition around the globe but until now had never had someone win, much less placed in this prestigious pageant for trans feminine women that started in 2004.
She is the second straight contestant from South America to take home the Miss International Queen crown., and you have to wonder despite the controversial comment of Gabriela Isler when the head of Venezuela's Miss Universe organizing body will finally relent and allow trans women like Ms. Santiago to compete for their nation in the Miss Universe pageant system.
The second annual Miss Trans 2013 pageant was held m Rio de Janeiro recently. It had 28 competitors from 11 Brazilian states competing not only for the pageant crown at Rio's Joao Caetano Theater, but an all expense paid trip to Thailand as Brazil's representative for the 2014 edition of the Miss International Queen pageant
It was also offering a chance to go to Thailand and get a paid gender realignment surgery.
But this pageant also has a serious purpose in mind according to its sponsor Majorie Marchi, the president of Astra-Rio, the Rio Association for Transvestites and Transsexuals. “The competition was an important demonstration for people who traditionally have no voice in society and are still seen as victims or as culprits on the police blotter,” said Marchi “The trans community doesn’t just want the right to food and sustenance. We are about music, entertainment and art.”
The pageant's goals are to increase the visibility of trans people in Brazil, and was also sponsored by the city government of Rio, fashion designer Almir França, a Brazilian plastic surgery clinic and the Kamol Cosmetic Hospital in Thailand.
The winner of Miss Trans 2013 was 21 year old Raika Ferraz, who is from Sao Paulo and started her transition at 17. She will represent Brazil at the next Miss International Queen contest in Pattaya next November..
And as for whether she will have the SRS that she won as part of the prize package for winning the title?
She says as of right now, no. 'I don’t need this
operation, I already feel like a woman. I have been taking hormone
tablets for more than four years now to create my curves and increase my
bust size and I am really happy with the results," Ferraz says
confidently.
A Brazilian girl like us, Marcela Ohio won the Miss International Queen 2013 title, and in the history of this pageant that started in 2004, no nation has ever had back to back winners of it.
Will the Brazilians and Raika Ferraz be able to pull that feat off? We'll see if she can in November.
