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• In an industry where it's common for contestants to have plastic surgery, Botox and liposuction, is it really fair to exclude one woman because she had undergone surgical procedures to change her gender?
• On the other hand, why should the rules be bent for Jenna Talackova, a Miss Universe contestant who was disqualified because of her transgender status?
• And does the fact that she lied on her application form when she stated that she is a "naturally born female", mean that the organisation had a right to kick her out?
It's a multi-layered debate which has risen to the surface after the 23-year-old transgender model was disqualified. Even though over 30,000 supporters have signed an online petition demanding that Jenna be allowed to participate in the Miss Universe pageant, organisers stand by their decision.
"She did not meet the requirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form," stated a Miss Universe Canada release.
But online petitioners disagree. "This is discriminatory, unjust, and quite frankly disgusting," said Oscar Dimant author of the petition at change.org. "She is a woman and deserves to be treated as any other woman would be."
Personally, I hate that fact that labels like "transgender" or "female" or "male" exist in the first place. I have a problem that the phrase "naturally born females" was in the rules in the first place. But that's a complex topic which deserves an entire thesis – in the meantime, I hope you'll comment in the box below.
Do you think it's fair that Jenna was disqualified from the Miss Universe pageant?
Follow Kele on Twitter.
• On the other hand, why should the rules be bent for Jenna Talackova, a Miss Universe contestant who was disqualified because of her transgender status?
• And does the fact that she lied on her application form when she stated that she is a "naturally born female", mean that the organisation had a right to kick her out?
It's a multi-layered debate which has risen to the surface after the 23-year-old transgender model was disqualified. Even though over 30,000 supporters have signed an online petition demanding that Jenna be allowed to participate in the Miss Universe pageant, organisers stand by their decision.
"She did not meet the requirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form," stated a Miss Universe Canada release.
But online petitioners disagree. "This is discriminatory, unjust, and quite frankly disgusting," said Oscar Dimant author of the petition at change.org. "She is a woman and deserves to be treated as any other woman would be."
Personally, I hate that fact that labels like "transgender" or "female" or "male" exist in the first place. I have a problem that the phrase "naturally born females" was in the rules in the first place. But that's a complex topic which deserves an entire thesis – in the meantime, I hope you'll comment in the box below.
Do you think it's fair that Jenna was disqualified from the Miss Universe pageant?
Follow Kele on Twitter.
