Transgender woman allowed in Miss Universe
The Miss Universe pageant is changing and I think for the better. The board recently announced that their policy is changing. As of next year, transgender women will be allowed to enter this beauty pageant. This change comes a week after the organization decided to allow Jenna Talackova to compete for Canada’s spot in the Miss Universe pageant. Jenna had a transgender op about four years ago.
But Jenna is now a bit hesitant. Apparently, Donald Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization, asked Jenna to “[meet] the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions.”
To which her legal advisor, Gloria Allred responded: “Jenna entered this competition and gave the pageant her time, her best efforts and her money. She did not think for one moment that what she might have looked like at birth would be relevant. She did not ask Mr. Trump to prove that he is a naturally-born man, or to see the photos of his birth, to view his anatomy, to prove that he was male. It made no difference to her. Why should it have made a difference to him?”
What is your opinion? I personally think that loosening the boundaries between what is masculine and feminine; or male and female is a great thing. By allowing us to become more androgynous, we break down set-in-stone stereotypes that are often direly in need of change. Why should only those who tick all the boxes of what ‘a woman’ should be, allowed to be judged on stage for their beauty. What is a woman really? Is it the look, the way she acts or her genitals? Are those who see themselves as women, those who have female genitals, those who might resemble that which people associate with women, like Jenna and other transgender individuals, then not also ‘women’.
Andrej Pejic is dominating the world of female modelling and Lea T. is short on his heels. Who’s next? Maybe a female model walking the men’s fashion planks? Would love to see that.
More Body Politics?
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I think that pageants are revolting and continue to facilitate the objectification of women and societies’ valuing of one another on looks more than substance. HOWEVER, Transgender women should have just as much right to devalue human beings as “naturally-born” women.