SINGAPORE: Organizers of Miss Singapore Universe have said that transgender contestants will be able to compete in next year's competition. The announcement has been praised by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups across the globe as beauty pageants are becoming more inclusive. Canada was the first country to allow a transgender woman to compete. Women who have undergone sex change may now apply and compete against natural-born women, confirmed local organizers. Traditionally, only natural-born women aged between 18 to 27, are allowed entry to the contest for both nationals and international editions. The pageant is co-owned by United States real estate mogul Donald Trump and television network NBC. Earlier in April, the Singapore organizer said they were considering accepting contestants who have had sex changes. Earlier this year, Canadian Jenna Talackova made world headlines by being the first transgender to take part in the Miss Universe Canada finals. While she failed to win, her entry after a much publicized media campaign forced Miss Universe organizers to rethink the pageant's competition rules to allow transgender contestants. Singapore's contestants Qiu and Liu both said they supported the new rule change to make the competition more inclusive. “It would be a good step forward for Singapore," Qiu said, as the nation becomes “more willing to accept more controversial things" to build a “more open minded and caring society". Addressing the issue that cosmetic surgery may create an uneven playing field, Liu said it takes more than just beauty to enter a beauty pageant. “It takes more than looking pretty. You need courage and intelligence too. So as long as you have the guts to join, why not?" she said. “Everyone have their own rights. It's not for me to say. It would be fun though because it would provide a new perspective on how beauty pageants are run, and how the competition would go."
