If you’ve had any questions about whether or not our society is going through some cultural twistings and turnings, here’s another news story that lands solidly in the “yep” column. It seems that even the old bikini-and-evening-gown beauty pageants are being escorted into a new day.
You may have heard about Jenna Talackova, a Miss Universe contestant who was recently disqualified from competition after it was officially revealed that she was born a boy and then became a transgender female. Well, that quickly sparked a firestorm that involved outraged advocacy groups and even the well-known feminist attorney Gloria Allred.
After a couple weeks of scuffle, the Miss Universe Organization and the gay defense group GLAAD both announced that transgender woman will now be allowed to compete for the crown in the Miss Universe beauty competitions. The Donald Trump-owned organization is finalizing the new policy right now. In a statement, GLAAD spokesperson Herndon Graddick said:
For more than two weeks, the Miss Universe Organization and Mr. Trump made it clear to GLAAD that they were open to making a policy change to include women who are transgender. We appreciate that he and his team responded swiftly and appropriately. The Miss Universe Organization today follows institutions that have taken a stand against discrimination of transgender women including the Olympics, NCAA, the Girl Scouts of America and The CW's America's Next Top Model. Jenna and all of the LGBT advocates who have called for this change and spoken out in support of transgender women are to be commended. At a time when transgender people are still routinely denied equal opportunities in housing, employment and medical care, today's decision is in line with the growing levels of public support for transgender people across the country.
Jenna Talackva said that her identity struggle was always front and center in her life. “I always knew since I was 4, and I started my therapy and hormone therapy when I was 14, and then when I went through with the surgery when I was 19,” she shared at a transgender pageant two years ago. The now reinstated Miss Universe Canada told ABC News, “I have never asked for any special consideration. I only wanted to compete.”
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