Miss International Queen crown!
Bangkok, Sep 19 (EFE).-
Transgender women from 23 countries and territories will compete on Saturday for the Miss International Queen crown, which is the largest beauty contest of its kind and will celebrate its 21st edition in the Thai city of Pattaya.
After a week of preliminary galas, during which the contestants paraded in traditional costumes representing the cultures of their places of origin and walked catwalks in swimsuits and evening gowns, they will arrive at the final ceremony.
Taneung Chanthasenesack of Laos won the talent competition with a choreographed routine, and Midori Monet of the United States (US) received the highest score for her performance in Thursday’s preliminary gala.
The contestants are competing for the crown last won in 2024 by Catalina Marsano of Peru. Marsano was awarded 14,000 US dollars, according to the Tiffany Entertainment Company, which has organized the contest since 2004 to promote the rights of the transgender community.
Thailand, a world leader in sex reassignment surgery, is hosting this competition one month before marking one of the biggest female beauty contests, Miss Grand International, which does not accept transgender women.
In November, the country will play host to Miss Universe, whose first edition with a transgender competitor took place in Bangkok in 2018 with Spain’s Ángela Ponce.
Since then, the contest has relaxed its rules, now admitting married or divorced women with no age limit.
Thailand protects the rights of the LGBTI community more than most of its neighbors, and in January, it became the third place in Asia and the first nation in Southeast Asia to allow same-sex marriage.
However, activists warn that there is still a long way to go to end all discrimination. EFE hp/vm
