Peer groups stand behind bullied Philippines transgender beauty queen
Sudeshna Sarkar, August 11, 2013
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/peer-groups-stand-behind-bullied-philippines-transgender-beauty-queen110813Francine Garcia, a transgender bearing a striking resemblance to popular Philippine actor Kim Chiu, won the Super Sireyna Queen of Queens 2013, a popular pageant for transgenders, on July 27, beating seven other finalists.
But the victory was followed by the appearance on the Internet of nude photos, allegedly of Garcia, and purported statements by the sponsors of the show that she had been stripped of her title.
Garcia says the photographs are fakes engineered by disappointed rivals. And there is no conclusive statement from the hosts so far to bear out the allegations that she lost her title.
The official comment on the incident so far has come from the four gay rights groups, who said they had noted the barrage of differing views and comments for and against Garcia.
"Although we respect everyone's right to freely express an opinion, we are alarmed by the way such commentaries have obtrusively sidelined Francine Garcia's human rights as a transwoman," the quartet said in a press release.
"Even while we search for the truth, the equally inviolable principle of fairness must not be discounted."
