Transmissions: Universal discrimination
Published 04/05/2012
by Gwendolyn Ann Smith
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=67600A transgender woman, Jenna Talackova, ended up as a finalist in the Miss Universe Canada pageant, likely the first known transgender finalist in Miss Universe – or at least the first I'd ever heard of.
For a brief time, a transgender woman was part of one of the world's biggest pageants dedicated to feminine beauty. Then something happened: Talackova was removed from the event.
We don't know why she was removed, beyond a statement from the pageant stating, "She did not meet the requirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form." Unfortunately, I could not find a copy of the form in question: all the pageant website provides is a simple web form, asking for name, contact information, date of birth, and things such as headshots and swimsuit pictures. They list the basic requirements as follows: "To qualify for the 2012 competition, you must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age by February 1, 2012." Note that it does not mention anything about actually being female, let alone not being transgender. Heck, it doesn't even require you not to have had any cosmetic surgery.
