Share

Trump: Transgender beauty queen stays

Los Angeles - Businessman Donald Trump has overturned a decision by the Miss Universe organisation, which he owns, to disqualify a Canadian transgender beauty pageant contestant because she is not a "naturally born" female.

Jenna Talackova, a tall blonde who underwent gender-reassignment surgery at age 19 and holds legal documents affirming her identity as a woman, wants pageant organisers to go further and drop eligibility rules she calls discriminatory.

Talackova, 23, was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada competition on Friday after she was selected as one of 65 finalists. The winner of that contest, who ultimately will be crowned on May 19 in Toronto, will go on to represent Canada in the global Miss Universe Pageant later in the year.

In throwing her out, pageant organisers accused Talackova of having "falsified her application when she said she was born female," adding that the Miss Universe Organisation "has rules which apply to all of its franchises around the world."

Her disqualification sparked commentary on the internet and cable television news shows about the boundaries of gender identification, civil liberties and the rights of private organisations to set their own rules.

Talackova, who carries a Canadian passport, driver's license and birth certificate that all identify her as a woman, appeared on Tuesday with Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred, a high-profile legal advocate for women's causes, demanding to be allowed back into the contest.

'I was devastated'

"I am a woman. I was devastated and I felt that excluding me for the reason that they gave was unjust," Talackova said in a statement she read to reporters.

She and Allred also called for the Miss Universe organisation to abolish its rule requiring contestants to be "naturally born" females. Allred called it "an antiquated rule grounded in prejudice, fear and stereotypes.

"It isn't just about her being able to compete," Allred said. "Jenna is standing up for others as well as herself. She doesn't want this type of discrimination to be faced by anyone else."

But by then, pageant organisers had already reversed course on Talackova's eligibility at the behest of Trump, who is president and owner of the Miss Universe organisation.

"As long as she meets the standards of legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, which we understand that she does, Jenna Talackova is free to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada pageant," said Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump and executive vice president of his business group.

Best of luck

"Nobody is capitulating. Rather the Miss Universe organisation is respecting the laws of Canada," Cohen told Reuters, adding that she, "like all the other contestants, is wished the best of luck by Mr Trump."

He also said, "Assuming she wins, she would be the representative of that country (Canada)" in the larger Miss Universe Pageant.

Reached in a separate telephone interview, a Miss Universe spokesperson, Brenda Mendoza, agreed, saying that "if (Talackova) were to win the (Canadian) title, she would move on to the global telecast."

As to demands that the pageant do away with its naturally born female requirement for eligibility, Cohen was non-committal.

"At this point in time, the Miss Universe Organisation, along with its counsel, is taking this issue under advisement," he said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE