Jenna Talackova (above) didn’t take the crown at the Miss Universe Canada contest yesterday, but the 6’2″ looker emerged a champion nonetheless: As the first openly transgender competitor in pageant history, she helped change the rules of the Miss Universe Organization.
“If you are legally recognized in your country and you’ve had your surgery and been through everything, you’d be able to compete in your country’s pageant,” said Paula Shugar, president of the organization. But Shugar admits that won’t be any help in countries that don’t provide legal recognition of a trans woman’s change in gender.
Wearing a white bikini and blinged-out heels, Talackova sashayed into the top 12 but was eliminated after the evening-gown segment. Sahar Biniaz, 26, won the competition, reports the Toronto Star, but Talackova was in a four-way tie for Miss Congeniality.
brian
Transgenders are not gay. They don’t want to be gay. Let’s not include them in our battles.
nikki
and you would be wrong there brian…. some of us want to be with the persons of the same gender we are transitioning to…
what?
@brian: “gays aren’t human so let’s not include them in our human rights battles” – some random ignorant guy.
CupCake
I think this women will be a good role model for the transgender people. Most trans women I have met are not very attractive and would do well to follow this contestants footsteps.
I do think it is important we include trans women in our battle for equality they have been with us since Stonewall,
Brittni
All of these issues should be EVERYONE’S issues!
JayKay
“Beauty” might be a bit of a stretch…Come on now, he looks like Paris Hilton crossed with that princess from Antz.
Sweetbrandigirl2004
@CupCake: Well to begin with she’s NOT transgender she’s a post-op Transsexual….and if the transgender mafia would stop co-opping Transsexuals and the medical condition that covers them ie: “GID” then those who truly do have GID and need to make a gender transition may find it easier to gain equal rights in this nation.
InscrutableTed
@Cupcake: You’re a horrible person for wishing that people lived up to your standards of beauty.
@Jaykay: The pronoun you want is “she”. In English, personal pronouns agree with the gender of the person they refer to. It’s a very basic grammar rule. Even toddlers get it right.
Bob Johnson
You know what held her back? Her name. I bet if she would change her name to something less in your face she would do better.
Dana Taylor
@brian: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire. Some of us are gay. Thanks and hugs from a bisexual ts woman
Dana Taylor
@JayKay: You are transphobic. Do you like homophobic people?
Dana Taylor
To my TS Sisters. If you ever feel you are a bit low on your transphobia levels, all you have to do is come to Queerty and get your levels balanced out, in a comment or two. Yes, from those who have overcame homophobia, and told the public “It is not a choice to be gay or lesbian”, but who thinks being transgender or transsexual IS a choice, and also thinks the science behind transsexualism is bogus. Yes, these people who have no medical proof that homosexuality is not a choice, bash those of us who are transsexual, that HAVE MEDICAL proof.
My gay brothers and sisters here on this site, who bash transsexuals, should be ashamed. Truly ashamed.
Belize
@brian: I’d rather include them in our battles than morons like you and JayKay. #realtalk
@JayKay: Are you still bitter over the fact that you didn’t get picked as Miss Westboro 1854? Honey. You have to let it go.
Belize
@InscrutableTed: You expect JayKay to be smarter than a toddler? You must be new here. Welcome to Queerty! 🙂
Belize
@CupCake: “Most trans women I have met are not very attractive and would do well to follow this contestants footsteps.”
I’ve never lived in a house full of mirrors before. Thank you for sharing your valuable experience. Kisses. 😉
Belize
@Bob Johnson: Like… Bob?
Evvan
@brian: The site is called Queerty, not Gayty.
Belize
@Dana Taylor: “@JayKay: You are transphobic. Do you like homophobic people?”
If he didn’t want to suck the dicks that wouldn’t even come near that cesspool he calls a mouth, he probably will.
Dana Taylor
Someone from Queerty should write an article about transphobia in the LGB community. The LGB community has been the target of homophobia, and acknowledge homophobia, yet there is widespread transphobia within this community. Seriously? Think about that for a bit. Does it make you feel better to be able to turn your anger towards the transgender and transsexual communities? If so, why? Why do you hate it when someone is homophobic against you and what makes something homophobic? I can rephrase it to be transphobic when it comes from you. You think it is okay to be transphobic?
CupCake
@Dana Taylor:
Who are you people kidding?
Do gay men beat up transwomen? Ever seen a gay man charged with assault or firing a transwomen? Ever seen anyone turned away from a gay pride parade?
Transwomen should integrate with gay men in a real way, not just on an internet blog.
Geri
@brian: Research into transgender sexuality carried out by Walter Bockting PhD at the University of Minnesota suggests that, among male-to-female transgender people, 27 percent are attracted to men, 35 percent are attracted to women and 38 percent are attracted to men and women. And among female-to-male transgender people, 10 percent are attracted to men, 55 percent are attracted to women and 35 percent are attracted to men and women.
These figures come as no real surprise to me as from my own personal experience the majority of trans people are bisexual and some are homosexual, so I think they could be fairly accurate percentages.
jason
Transgenderism is not defined as homosexual. Transgenderism and homosexuality are two different words with two different meanings. When you deliberately conflate the two, you effectively dumb down each. You dumb down the concept of homosexuality.
I believe that, ultimately, the gay rights movement will be brought down by transgenders and women, mark my words.
Dana Taylor
@CupCake: I had my eye socket broken and nasal cavity broken, to the point of leaking brain fluid out of my nose, at the hand of a gay man. I had to have an MRI at a cost of 11,000 grand. So yes, that can happen and no, I am not making this shit up.
Sweetbrandigirl2004
@jason: Jason Transgenderism isn’t a condition its a social movement which is very different than Transsexualism which is a legitimate medical condition. Likewise Homosexuality have nothing to do with one another. Transgenderism (social movement)
Not to be confused with Transgender.
Transgenderism is a social movement seeking transgender rights and affirming transgender pride.[1]
History
In her 1995 book Apartheid of Sex, biopolitical lawyer and writer Martine Rothblatt describes “transgenderism” as a grassroots social movement seeking transgender rights and affirming transgender pride. For many in the transgender – or “trans” – movement, the label transgender encompasses not only transsexual and transgender people but also transvestites, drag queens, drag kings, intersex individuals, and anyone non-conventionally gendered (i.e., anyone identifying or behaving in a manner that runs counter to expected societal norms concerning the gender assigned them after birth) or sexed (if one includes transsexual people).[1][2]
CupCake
@Dana Taylor:
Well I am very sorry to hear you story. This individual is a disgrace. I hope he has been prosecuted and incarcerated.
By the way I will rephrase what I said earlier, in that most trans people do not find themselves attractive and should be proud of their beauty in the way this contestant demonstrated.
Sean Zilla
This make a joke out of an industry that already suffers from an imaging problem. What’s her talent, tucking? I think I’ll enter the Mrs. Black USA contest. I’m not married, female or black, but I am sassy, and I have a big ass- I just need a man.
Sean Zilla
@brian: Exactly-
Geri
@jason: A trans person is queer whether they identify as straight, bi, gay, lesbian or something else.