The Miss Universe Pageant changed its rules this week to allow transgender women to compete. The new rules have not yet been released but pageant officials say they are rewriting the language of the rules to allow transgender contestants.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, told reporters from the Associated Press that “everybody should be allowed to participate in every aspect of society. Absolutely its good news, it’s another pernicious structural discrimination barrier taken down.”
The rule change was announced shortly after officials announced they would allow Jenna Talackova, a transgender Canadian woman, compete. Talackova was initially banned from entering the competition but the advocacy group GLAAD and lawyer Gloria Allred successfully intervened on her behalf.
1 comment
Amy says:
Apr 12, 2012
I am not at all against transgendered people, but I wonder how allowing them to participate will effect the pageant. The Miss Universe Pageant is a very traditional event and allowing women who have male characteristics or allowing females with male characteristics into the pageant is sure to create an uproar. The pageant has been for females only, but a change like this will change the dynamic of the event and it will be interesting to see how accepting society is of this change of having basically both men and women compete for Miss Universe.