After being turfed from the Miss Universe Canada competition last month, transgender beauty contestant, Jenna Talackova, is now allowed to compete after all, the organization announced.
The only requirement is that she proves she meets the “legal gender recognition requirements of Canada” and other international competitions. The statement issued by the organization did not detail what those requirements are.
Twenty three year old Talackova was dropped from the pageant two weeks ago. The Vancouver native wrote in an email to the Vancouver Sun at the time of rejection that it was, “…because I am not ‘natural born’. That doesn’t make sense, because since I was conscious I always felt this way”.
The Miss Universe Organization stated that their reason for Jenna’s disqualification, was because she “did not meet the requirements to compete, despite having stated otherwise on her entry form.” Her profile was quietly taken down from the Miss Universe Canada’s finalists’ page. Jenna has known she was a female since she was four years old. She began her hormone therapy at fourteen years old, and had her sex reassignment surgery in 2010.
But, now Jenna Talackova will realize her dream, if she proves that she is eligible to participate in the 61st annual Miss Universe Canada Pageant, to be held at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts (Bluma Appel Theatre) in Toronto.
Sixty-five delegates from across Canada will be in Toronto from May 11th to May 20th, and will compete for the title of Miss Universe Canada 2012, to be awarded on Saturday, May 19th, 2012. The reigning Miss Universe Canada, Chelsae Durocher, will assist in crowning her successor before a live audience.
