Duran during the Tourism Queen International competition held in China last December
Earlier this week, news around the world reported the dismissal -for the first time in history- of the winner of the Miss Dominican Republic crown. Her name, Carola Duran. Her mistake: Being married.
According to Dominican media, Duran had been briefly married in 2009. Through her attorney, she informed that the marriage was never consumated and it was annulled. However, her civil status was enough for her to be disqualified, since according to Miss Universe rules, contestants “must be single and never been married”.
The acceptance of married women in “Miss” competitions has been controversial to some extent, but it had never been a major issue.
However, when Donald Trump, along with the Miss Universe Organization and GLAAD, gave weeks ago the green light for transgenders to join the Miss Universe competition (abolishing their own “natural born female” rule), all rules concening the pageant started to be questioned.
In the comment section of virtually every media outlet reporting on the Duran event, the question was the same:
“How can the Miss Universe competition accept transgenders, but not natural women even if they are married or divorced?”.
The debate was long and interesting. In a poll conducted by Global Beauties, 64% of the voters agreed that its time to allow married/divorced women in the competition.
More traditional fans defend their non-inclusion stating that married women would not be able to perform their duties like the current queens. However, in today’s world, married women are capable of taking any job they require, including those where they live through their looks.
A perfect example: Today’s world most admired models: The Victoria’s Secret Angels. Little girls dream to be like them and wear their wings. They are famous, recognizable with household names; and a lot of them are married. Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes, among many others have been able to perform an excellent job as Victoria’s Secret spokemodels. And they have kids. So if the top models of the world can do this, why can’t a beauty queen?
Going back to the Carola controversy, the situation caused fans on Facebook to start an online petition, which has been signed already by almost 1,000 people.
Duran has already been replaced by her 1st runner-up Dulcita Lieggi. At the moment, there’s nothing more to be done. However, a change in the pageant requirements can probably prevent this from happening again.
Not everybody agrees with change. But if rules -in the Miss Universe competition- can be bent to allow women who have transitioned, fans expect an explanation as to why, married or divorced women cannot join.
Furthermore, the name of the contest is Miss Universe no Mrs Universe.
Nor is it Mr. Universe; yet that doesn’t seem to matter.
It is obvious that married women can not participate in these beauty contests. The winner is obliged to spend a year in London or Paris, what the companies will make with their husbands? Trump or Julie will find jobs for them in these cities or they will be idle dependents of their women?
The comparison with top models have no pertinence to this situation, those women make their lives where they live and work.
Sign the petition to help Carlina Duran to get her crown back.
http://www.change.org/petitions/miss-universe-organization-reconsider-miss-rd-carlina-dur%C3%A1n-s-case-and-admit-her-into-miss-universe
APOYAN a Carlina Duran firmen la peticion
http://www.change.org/petitions/miss-universe-organization-reconsider-miss-rd-carlina-dur%C3%A1n-s-case-and-admit-her-into-miss-universe
It is incongruous, comparing apples and oranges, when you are talking about a woman’s marital status as opposed to her gender status.
Transgender women may not compete if they were married or had children.
How is it incongruous?. The rules state that you must have been born a woman AND never been married. If they annulled the restriction on contestants who were born MEN, then why not on married WOMEN.
Well the rules have been amended in terms of whether you are a woman by choice or by chance. But if have not been amended in terms of marital status.
There’s no such a thing as being a woman by choice, it doesn’t matter how much you try to romanticize it; your gender is part of who you are and it can’t be changed just like you can’t be ethnically Chinese or Italian by choice. People should accept themselves instead of trying to impose their delusion about themselves on others. He is a man, it doesn’t matter how many surgeries he puts himself through.
Jenna is a MISS, she’s single. The contests are for MISSES (Miss = single).
He is Mister.
With due respect to everyone, still NO to married and divorced women and more so NO to transgenders. We have Mrs. World, Miss Tifanny Universe and more pageants for these people. Let’s make the competition fair and square. maintain the prestige, credibility and respect to femininity in Miss Universe. But unfortunately, everything is starting to diminish . . .
Could not agree more with your very sound logic!
NO to married and divorced women. NO to transgenders! They have their own pageants as simple as that.
I the beautiful Carola did break the rules for the national pageant she entered. She should have disclosed her short lived marriage and her campaign should have began at the Dominican national level. Miss USA lost their 1957 winner and Miss World 1974 and many national titleholders along the way were dethroned for marriages. I do not agree with the trans-gender decision, but she did participate with full disclosure. The Dominican Republic is just a power-house in this era, Carola annulment should have been disclosed then a decision through Miss universe could have been decided like in Canada, pre-pageant not post. A first runner up by Domincan standards could still capture the Miss Universe crown and should be supported. Carlina played by the rules. Please don’t hate this Dutchmen! (lol)
Jenna Talackova did not disclose her details. Organizers in Canada found out after evidence of Talackova’s participation in International Queen made the net. That is why she was removed. Then, when the controversy erupted, she disclosed her details. But she had not said anything before joining.
Dulcita’s manager (this is his twitter acct) @miguel_theprice was the one who snitched and with pure jealousy instead of keeping it under the organizations confidentiality, went public on this unclear issue to harm Carlina… it was a plot, Dulcita knew about it, and she also knows that Carlina will get her crown back because the WORLD wants her as Miss DR… I hope all of you have signed the petition, the fan movement is very grateful! thanks for the support! WE WILL GET THAT CROWN BACK TO OUR QUEEN!
This is madness, first transgender, next married woman, then the end of Miss Universe.
Hahaha! Miss Universe Organization gets screwed up! This is an issue that MUO needs to address to. BTW, Carola or Carlina?
I think rules must be reviewed. supposedly, transgenders have their own pageants, married women have their own pageants too..but, if miss universe change their rules, we cannot do anything. we cant just compare one thing to other.. why this pageant allows why this pageant does not..it is because every organization is governed by its own rules..
Let her compete at the Miss Universe pageant!! Where is the petition to be signed?
Go Ms. DURAN!
Well yes married women are women but if they open up the doors to these women, what will happen? Trump will not be happy because of the husband situation and her mind won’t be on the role, events and engagements. I know her marriage was annulled and she’s gorgeous but I don’t think Mr. Trump would allow this to happen lol sorry just saying LOL
Married women ARE WOMEN. Trannies are NOT.
BECAUSE ITS MISS UNIVERSE…MISS NOT MRS….THE TRANSGENDER IS A MISS THEN SHE IS ALLOWED!!! GETS????? OF THE TRANSGENDER/TRANSEXUAL GOT MARRIED BEFORE THEN GOT DIVORCED SHE CANT JOING THE CONTEST! GETS? WE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE MISS AS A SINGLE WOMAN….THANK YOU!
So when this girl represented DR at MTQI, she was already married at that time? Does MTQI have background check before they accept contestants?
Yes, I want Carola Duran to go the Miss Universe contest.
divorce woman – yes but married woman i don’t think so, because i don’t think they get in top 20 because she can’t sleep with Trump after win right… haha But carlina should be in MU…
I believe is time for a change women like Carlina should be able to be in Miss Universe as long they don’t have kids and divorce why not ?
Trump’s admission of a transgender already opened the door to other request such as this one – the admission of divorced/annuled marriage and now a single woman. This case is quite interesting where a double moral is the reigning queen given that many past and present contestants actually live in with their boyfriends and a man (aka transgender) are not punished from participating. I believe Trump should act upon the injustice against this young woman and let divorced women (who are now single) and with no children (due to parenting responsability) compete.
I would like to see Carola Duran back at Miss Dominican Republic because her mistake was only to have been married but it was anulled. This isn’t as major as that transgender young woman being allowed to compete. They should make an exception for Carola and give her back her title and then enforce the rule next year and onwards about never being married.
yes i want carlina back back !! please Donald Trump we need Carlina Back Please Please it’s time to open this door!! i no think it’s a good IDEA about allow lady with kids but young lady who sometimes married for they to get right to stay in the USA or Europe the can enter !!
It is possible to have her back, because an anulment means that it never happened, plus the fact that the New crowned queen and her team were the ones who sabotaged and snitched on Carola, sending the press the marriage documents… this isn’t winning a the pageant, and NO ONE likes the new Miss RD, search around for the comments and you’ll see that everyone HATES her.
If the new queen (original first runner-up) and her team snitched on Carola Duran, I would not want her to be the new Miss because that kind of back-stabbing is not nice behaviour and I say is even worse than Carola Duran having been briefly married, so I agree with you, Justine.
If you guys want to help us sign this petition.All the Dominicans wants her REAL Queen Back!!