BANGKOK: Kevin Balot, the 21-year-old Philippines transgender won the 2012 Miss International Queen crown in Pattaya, Thailand on Friday in a contest that has received massive praise both locally and internationally. Mariana, a Colombian transgender who was in Thailand to assist a contestant, told Bikyamasr.com that the contest “was a great achievement for the world as it showed that transgender people have rights and deserve to show off what they got.” According to gmanetwork.com, Balot wanted to win so she could gain acceptance from her father. “I'm very proud to be first, here, and I hope my dad will accept me because in the family I'm the only boy, and my dad has big expectations of me. I made it. I won the International Queen pageant, and I believe that my dad will accept me not only as his son but also as his daughter," she told reporters. Balot won $10,000 and a crown from a popular gem store in Thailand, among other gifts. The contest had sparked a few outbursts of antagonism in Thailand, but overall, with the country's well-established transgender community, it largely went off without a glitch and was given much praise for its success.
