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71 per cent against transwoman as Miss S’pore Universe: Y! poll


A “naturally born female”.

That single phrase in Miss Universe’s pageant rules might not have mattered so much until the moment Canadian pageant hopeful and transwoman Jenna Talackova decided to upset the rules of the game.

Talackova was disqualified soon after she was found to have undergone gender reassignment surgery. A public uproar followed. So after a consultation with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Donald Trump's organization changed its rules to allow transgender women to take part in its beauty pageant starting 2013.

[see Slideshow: Jenna Talackova]


Now the chain reaction of events Talackova started has found its way to Singapore where local transsexuals have welcomed the decision by the local agent of Miss Singapore Universe, Derrol Stepenny Promotions, to abide by the impending rule change.

But it seems for now, Singaporeans remain largely conservative.

71 per cent of nearly 5,800 voters
were against the idea of a transgender being crowned Miss Singapore Universe.

Most of them echoed reigning beauty queen’s Valerie Lim thoughts: How fair is this to naturally born women?

[see: mrbrown speaks to Miss Singapore Universe Valerie Lim]

A Yahoo! user ET said, “Transgenders not only alter their sex but also surgically enhance their facial features to be more feminine. I have seen transgenders at the Alcazar and Tiffany theaters in Pattaya. They are much more beautiful than most women in the streets. It is obvious they have had plastic surgery on their faces too. I am not for people who have gone through plastic surgery to be Miss Universe. This annual beauty pageant will become a competition for the best sex change and plastic surgeons instead.”

Others felt that the image of Singapore would be tarnished if a transwoman ever stood on the world stage representing the Republic.

Yahoo! user Mustard said, “During the 50s to 70s, one of the main tourist attractions in Singapore was Bugis street - a notorious hangout of the transgender women. Singapore and Bugis street were kind of synonymous to the 'outside world' and quite an embarrassment to Singaporeans. Well, those were the days. Today Singapore enjoys a 'clean image'. Are we going to risk it all by tarnishing our clean image once again by having a transgender to represent Ms S'pore?”

Related articles:

1. Transgenders can compete in Miss Singapore Universe 2013: promoter

2. Transgender model cut from Canada Miss Universe

3. Transgender model to compete in pageant

4. Trump overrules rejection of transgender beauty queen

5. Miss Universe changes rules to include transgender women


6. Would you accept a transgender as Miss Singapore Universe?