A transgender contestant is being considered a frontrunner to win the Miss Universe competition over the rest of the biologically female contestants.
Angela Ponce won the qualifying rounds in Spain and will represent that country at the upcoming 2018 Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand on Dec. 16.
The model said a win would send a message to President Donald Trump, who used to own the pageant and didn’t allow transgender contestants.
“It would be a win for human rights,” Ponce said in an interview with Time Magazine. “Trans women have been persecuted and erased for so long. If they give me the crown, it would show trans women are just as much women as cis women.”
Ponce was born a male and still has all the genetic DNA of the male of the human species, but underwent gender reassignment surgery.
The Blast reports online bookies are slating Ponce to win as a fan favorite.
The pageant began allowing transgender women to compete in 2012 after a Canadian transgender model filed a lawsuit.
Ponce wrote on Instagram after winning Miss Universe Spain in June: “My goal is to be a spokesperson for a message of inclusion, respect and diversity not only for the LGBTQ+ community but also for the entire world.”
Critics have said if Ponce wins the competition it’ll be a another sign of political correctness run amok.
