First Transgender Miss Universe Contestant Makes History

Miss Philippines, Catriona Gray, may have taken the Miss Universe crown this year, but Angela Ponce, Miss Spain, won the hearts of people across the globe as she competed as the first transgender contestant.

Although she did not make it to the round of the top twenty contestants, Ponce said that she doesn’t need to win the pageant to make a statement for transgender women everywhere. “I only need to be here,” she explained. The anchors enthusiastically welcomed Ponce as they announced her swimsuit and evening gown rounds with her historic title.

Donald Trump, the then owner of the pageant, lifted a ban on transgender contestants in 2012, implementing a new set of rules that indicate contestants must be between age 18-28 and be unmarried. Ponce is the first contestant to make it through the entire process since this change, beating out 22 other Spanish pageant queens in June of 2018.

Ponce took to Instagram with a post in Spanish that said “What an honor and pride to be part of the history of @missuniverse,” she wrote. “This is for you, for those who have no visibility, no voice, because we all deserve a world of respect, inclusion and freedom. And today I am here, proudly representing my nation, all women and human rights.”

After Ponce’s elimination, support and praise poured through Twitter from fans and watchers at home. Considering her biggest fear about the pageant was the world not being ready for a transgender Miss Universe, the response from viewers is encouraging of the progression our society is having.

By Annie Levy