Jenna Talackova will participate in Miss Universe Canada
Talackova had been earlier disqualified because of a rule stating contestants must be "naturally born" females.
Talackova, a tall blond who underwent gender-reassignment surgery at age 19 and holds legal documents including a passport, birth certificate and driver’s license affirming her identity as a woman, wants pageant organizers to go further and drop eligibility rules she calls discriminatory.
The Vancouver-born Talackova, 23, was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada competition last 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.
The Miss Universe Organisation, which is run by Donald Trump says his organization is allowing a transgender woman who was born a male to compete for Canada's spot in the Miss Universe pageant - and he's wishing her good luck.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Miss Universe Organization says 23-year-old Jenna Talackova, who underwent a sex change four years ago, can compete in the 2012 competition to become Canada's pageant contestant.
Talackova's lawyer Gloria Allred held a news conference earlier in the day demanding the organization eliminate its rule requiring contestants be born as women.
A veteran beauty pageant competitor, who has participated in Miss Universe pageants before, Miss Talackova surgically changed her gender aged 19.
‘I regard myself as a woman with a history,’ she said, winking to the camera.
The only requirements stated on the Miss Universe Canada website is that to enter, women must be a Canadian citizen and between the ages of 18 and 27.
The application made no mention of rules regarding sexual reassignment surgery.
Talackova had been earlier disqualified because of a rule stating contestants must be "naturally born" females.
Talackova, a tall blond who underwent gender-reassignment surgery at age 19 and holds legal documents including a passport, birth certificate and driver’s license affirming her identity as a woman, wants pageant organizers to go further and drop eligibility rules she calls discriminatory.
The Vancouver-born Talackova, 23, was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada competition last 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.
The Miss Universe Organisation, which is run by Donald Trump says his organization is allowing a transgender woman who was born a male to compete for Canada's spot in the Miss Universe pageant - and he's wishing her good luck.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Miss Universe Organization says 23-year-old Jenna Talackova, who underwent a sex change four years ago, can compete in the 2012 competition to become Canada's pageant contestant.
Talackova's lawyer Gloria Allred held a news conference earlier in the day demanding the organization eliminate its rule requiring contestants be born as women.
A veteran beauty pageant competitor, who has participated in Miss Universe pageants before, Miss Talackova surgically changed her gender aged 19.
‘I regard myself as a woman with a history,’ she said, winking to the camera.
The only requirements stated on the Miss Universe Canada website is that to enter, women must be a Canadian citizen and between the ages of 18 and 27.
The application made no mention of rules regarding sexual reassignment surgery.
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