Angela Ponce just made history as the first openly transgender contestant to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.
This year’s Miss Universe pageant took place on Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand. Angela Ponce, a 27-year-old trans woman from Seville, Spain, competed as the reigning Miss Spain. Although she didn’t make it to the top 20, her presence at the competition was a historic moment that had many viewers downright emotional.
“This is for you, for those who have no visibility, no voice, because we all deserve a world of respect, inclusion and freedom,” Angela wrote on Friday.
Until Angela, no trans woman had ever before competed in the worldwide pageant. In 2012, the Miss Universe organization attempted to disqualify a trans contestant from the Miss Universe Canada competition. Clearly, it has come a long way since then. This year, the organization even honored Angela’s history-making moment with a special segment.
As for Angela, she doesn’t seem to mind that she didn’t win. She said it best:
“I don’t need to win Miss Universe. I only need to be here.”
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/miss-universe-spain-first-transgender-contestant/