This trans beauty pageant won't be silenced by hate: "The girls are not afraid of who they are"https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/09/this-trans-beauty-pageant-wont-be-silenced-by-hate-the-girls-are-not-afraid-of-who-they-are/ 🔗Molly Sprayregen (29 Sep 2025)
This December, 25 transgender beauty queens will strut through Puerto Rico to compete for the coveted title of Miss Trans Star International. They'll don evening gowns and swimwear and show off elaborate traditional outfits that represent their countries. They'll share life stories and dreams for the future, and they'll advocate for a world where all trans people can thrive.
And they'll do all of this on an island that bans gender-affirming care for minors.
It's no accident that the pageant will take place in the United States territory, which has become swept up in anti-trans panic. The organization's CEO, Arianna Lint, said holding the competition in the U.S. sends a strong message.
"We cannot fight outside of the borders. This is the United States, and this is the country of opportunity for everybody," she told LGBTQ Nation. "We cannot say, 'Oh, the United States is not a safe place for us.' We have to say, 'Listen... We can fight.'"
