Spain’s representative as the next Miss Universe, Angela Ponce will become the first transgender Miss Universe contestant in the pageant’s 66-year history.
This is a dream come true for Ponce, who discussed the discrimination LGBT people face. She told ABS-CBN:
She said: “I am proud to have the opportunity to use this platform for a message of inclusion, tolerance and respect for the LGBT+ community.
“I was born into a world, into a society which really wasn’t prepared for me. I had the support of my family, but I still faced discrimination, and I had no role models.
“So many children face discrimination for being different. It is important to tell them they have a right to be who they are, who they want to be.”
The Miss Universe Organisation only just lifted a ban on transgender contestants in 2012, and now Ponce is in the running to become Miss Universe.
Source: CBN