Following consultations with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Miss Universe “discussed a policy change that includes transgender women in time for the start of this fall’s 2013 pageant season; a time when most of the competitions around the world begin to take place,” the two groups said in a joint statement.
National beauty pageants are currently being held around the world to chose contestants to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe contest, to be held later this year.
The change brings Miss Universe into line with other groups that have taken a stand against discrimination of transgender women, including the Olympics, the Girl Scouts of America and TV show “America’s Next Top Model”, GLAAD said.
“We have a long history of supporting equality for all women and this was something we took very seriously,” said Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization.
The exact language, which will abolish the long-standing rule that contestants must be “naturally born females,” is still being worked out, officials said.
Talackova revealed last week that she had hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, known for taking the cases of clients including a number of Tiger Woods’ ex-lovers and Nicole Brown Simpson’s family during the O.J. Simpson murder trial, to fight her case for re-inclusion into the competition.
The Vancouver-born Talackova was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada competition two weeks ago after she was selected as one of 65 finalists. The winner of that contest, who ultimately will be crowned on May 19 in Toronto, will go on to represent Canada in the global Miss Universe Pageant later in the year.
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