Miss International Queen: World's Largest Transsexual Pageant Raises Awareness
Tuesday November 3, 2009 9:02 a.m.
Photo Credit: AP
Beauty pageants get a bad rap for many stereotypes and promotion of shallow values, but the recent winner of Miss International Queen 2009 argues otherwise. Known as the world’s largest transsexual cabaret, the Miss International Queen pageant is seen as a platform not only to model swimsuits, but also to raise awareness for transgender issues.
The winner, Japan’s 37 year-old Haruna Ai, was overjoyed at press time, but also aware that her beauty and victory would not be well-received among all audiences, including her home country. “The way of life in Japan is more traditional and transsexuals cannot live freely, but in Thailand they can do what they want,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
In fact, the pageant, which took place at the Thai beach resort of Pattaya, is taken very seriously and respected for its open tolerance of sexual diversity. The contestants, all born men, were competing for the grand prize of $10,000, a year’s stay at the Pattaya hotel, and a 500-dollar surgical voucher, all of which Haruna Ai took home.
But Haruna Ai was not the only contestant to speak of experiences of sexual discrimination, as even the American contestant Sunny Dee-Lite, 32, admitted “an event like this for us is something we can only hope for in the United States,” where more traditional pageants rule the ratings.
Thailand has a reputation for being sexually tolerant, but many transsexuals believe that this openness is inherent in the country’s people, not its laws. Thai transsexuals argue that their inability to change their gender on their ID cards is discriminatory, as are the new laws on waiting periods imposed on sex-change operations.
However, while Thai legislation may still be in want of progressive scripture, the country continues to host the pageant, boosting public awareness of transgender issues on an international level, with contestants from as far as Brazil competing.
Says winner Haruna Ai, “I want contestants like this to show everyone that they should love each other and live freely.”
[via Sydney Morning Herald.]
There are 13 comments
@bebeholmes
I've only ever met a couple of people that I think would make great Springer guests, but I haven't seen them show up yet. Maybe they haven't had their phones turned on again to call for a guest spot.
@Uffdaguy
LMAO...That's too good. I didn't see that one. I quit watching that show awhile back. I started becoming afraid I might see some of my relatives on there............... Just never know!
@9 bebeholmes
OK, I'll give you that one. You have to admit that some of those folks are entertaining as hell. I still love the woman who wanted her boyfriend to get a DNA test...because, as she said, any idiot knows that's a Drug N' Alcohol test! She needs her own show...maybe right after Nancy Grace on Headline News.
@9.Uffdaguy
Let's be fair and balanced here........more than enough trailor parks and "hoods".
@8 bebeholmes
I hate to say it, but I think the guests are real, honest-to-god dumbasses. This a big country, and there are more than enough trailer parks to keep Jerry going for centuries to come.
I'm almost convinced that most of the guests on Springer are actors. I hate to think there are that many dumbasses in America that don't give a damn how they make themselves and their families look. But you never know what is walking around amongst us.
@6 bebeholmes
If you live by that rule, I guarantee you'll avoid being on at least 50% of all Jerry Springer episodes! LOL
@5.Uffdaguy
Pretty good rule to live by.
@bebeholmes
Honestly, I don't want to look closely enough to make that call. I live by the rule that if you have to ask the question whether someone is a guy or a gal, you probably don't want to know the answer!
@3.Uffdaguy
Hey Uffddgg, do you think Coulter is really a guy? I've often wondered that myself. She does have the Adam's apple for it.
I'm betting Ann Coulter will win this one. She'd better win, because she sure as hell doesn't have a shot at Miss Congeniality!
The only freak in this article is you and your bigoted commentary.
Can you believe there is actually enough freakazoids out there for a pageant like this to be successful?
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