Post date: Apr 10, 2012 9:25:9 PM
The Miss Universe Organization will now allow transgender contestants after working with GLAAD to change the rules.
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (REUTERS) - The landscape of beauty pageants is changing.
After two weeks of talks, the GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and the Miss Universe Organization have announced that all Miss Universe pageants, including Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe will now be open to transgender females.
"The Miss Universe Organization has told us that the official policy is going to be changing this year so that transgender women can compete in 2013. The trials for that begin in fall of 2012. Jenna is going to be competing this year in Miss Universe Canada, which we're definitely rooting for her," said Rich Ferraro, the director of communications for GLAAD.
The decision came after Jenna Talackova, a transgender woman from Canada, was disqualified from the Miss Canada Universe competition after officials learned she was not born a woman. The original rules of the pageant required all contestants be naturally born females. After a public outcry, GLAAD immediately began talks with the organization.
"We've been speaking with the Miss Universe Organization for about two weeks now and urging them to make this change and to follow in the footsteps of organizations like the Olympics, like NCAA college basketball, like the Girl Scouts of America, and like The CW's America's Next Top Model. These are institutions that do not discriminate against transgender women," said Ferraro.
Transgender woman Laverne Cox, an actress and producer, is an advocate for gender equality and is in full support of both organizations' efforts against discrimination.
"For me, Jenna is courage and this overturning of this discriminatory policy with Miss Universe is inspiring me to take more action and to call for those I know and they have access to also take action for equality for everyone," Cox added.
For GLAAD and Cox this decision a lot more than a beauty competition for the transgender community.
"The transgender community today can be legally fired in 34 states simply because they're transgender and it happens everyday. It's a community that does not face equal opportunities when it comes to housing, medical care, or even safety. Violence against transgender women is astronomically high in the United States today," said Ferraro.
"Transgender people face a disproportionate amount of discrimination, harassment, discrimination in employment, housing, healthcare. Often times our lives are endangered simply because we're trans," added Cox.
Jenna Talackova is set to compete in the Miss Universe Canada pageant on May 19th.