TORONTO — Transgender trailblazer Jenna Talackova lost her bid to become Miss Universe Canada over the weekend, but said Sunday that her history-making appearance has awarded her a much more meaningful role as a civil rights champion.
“I never thought I would be wearing (the) crown of an advocate and it feels really good, I feel very honoured,” Talackova said one day after losing the Miss Universe Canada title to fellow Vancouverite Sahar Biniaz.
“I was training for eight months, I was very dedicated and all of a sudden I was disqualified and for something that was so unjust. And now I’m a heroine in a lot of people’s eyes and it’s just made me so humbled and I wake up pinching myself.”
The Vancouver blond fell just outside the winner’s circle Saturday night, when she was cut after making the Top 12.
Talackova said Sunday she was “a little bummed out” for a few seconds, but quickly put the race behind her and felt grateful for the chance to compete and raise awareness of gender inequality.
Born Walter Talackova, the 23-year-old holistic nutrition student underwent sex change surgery four years ago. She was initially barred from competing until pageant owner Donald Trump said he would allow her to take part.
Gloria Allred calls on Trump to drop franchise holders who oppose to transgenders
On Sunday, Talackova’s high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred called on Trump to revoke any Miss Universe franchise that excludes transgender contestants.
“It’s clear, it’s simple: If they discriminate on account of gender identity they should not be allowed to have their candidate participate in the Miss Universe pageant worldwide,” said Allred, who flew in from Los Angeles to support her client. ”Simple as that.”
The Miss Universe Organization has said it would allow transgender competitors at any of its contests, but could not guarantee that local franchises would carry out the new policy.
MUO President Paula Shugart Speaks Out
Miss Universe Organization president, Paula Shugart, said Allred’s demands oversimplify the issue.
“This is not her argument to decide,” Shugart shot back from Las Vegas where she was preparing for the Miss USA contest June 3.
“Last I heard she is a lawyer in the United States and she should know there are laws all around the world that you have to respect.”
Shugart accused Allred of attempting to highjack the spotlight for personal publicity.
She says Miss Universe tried to invite Talackova into Miss Universe Canada for more than a week before Allred held a press conference April 3 that criticized Trump’s handling of the scandal.
“We have made a very, very big step here, we’ve made a step without Gloria Allred’s involvement, we made a step before we even knew she was involved and if anything she has hindered the process,” Shugart said.
“This is obviously something that is very, very new and we’re really taking it on a day-by-day basis.”
National directors have not been given instructions yet as to how the new rules will work. Most countries in the world do not support gender recognition after reassignment surgery.
Get real Gloria Allred, transexuals, transvestites are not 100% born females, in their mind they are true women, but they are not, they were born MALES! Then they were transferred to what they are now under advanced medical technology that we now have today!
Sé que muchas personas no van a estar de acuerdo con esto, pero a esa Señora abogada, yo le diría, Sra. Callese. En verdad, que tras que enseguida amenazó con demandar y quiso tratar de intimidar, su clienta participó y ahora viene con otra cosa. Señora, acá usted no es abogada, porque no estamos en EU. Viene a intentar presionar. Los cambios en la mentalidad mundial toma tiempo.
I totally agree with KL. This Gloria woman is using this fiasco for her personal gain. Miss Universe is for real women! As for Jenna, there are other pageants for transgendered women. Why want to change Miss Universe’s rules???? I myself am gay and i have nothing against sex change but there are rules in every pageant that MUST be followed and this whole fiasco is really unnecessary. Please DO NOT SPOIL THIS WONDERFUL PAGEANT!!!!!!
I am my self a gay male, I support and encourage people to fight for their rights!! However when it comes to this Jenna situiation I strongly believe all she wanted is to make a BIG DRAG SHOW out of all of this!!!
And get the attention wich she did but’s over.As a gay individual I want bo be treated like everyone else,have the same rights and be able to be equal, but there are some things about the gay community that I do not agree with.
WE were not born females
We are not females
We will never be females
And no matter what all of the trangender community says deep inside they know they will always be WHO THEY WERE BORN TO BE!!!!!!!!
OH MY GOD ,WHAT THIS WOMANIS THINKING ABOUT?,SHE IS TRYING THAT HER OPINION IS THE RULE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD COME ON OK JENNA PARTICIPATED AND OK BUT I DON´T SEE A MISS UNIVERSE WHITHOUT COLOMBIA VENEZUELA TRUMPH WOULD LOSE MONEY THESE COUNTRIES ARE POWERHOUSES AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN RULESCOMEONMRS ALLRIGHT .
It’s a tough call since I see both side’s of the arguement.
Ms. Allred is being ridiculous. As Shuggart said, there are differing laws in various countries that must be respected. And as for Jenna, while she was “training so hard for 8 months”, she should have learned to walk on stage properly..:)
she is stupid,
It is not Gloria Allred’s call. Every country has different perceptions, different laws. EDven in this country pageants across the board have “must be born female” on their applications. Gloria makes me ill. Jenna I do like.
Good call, Ms. Shugart. Somebody else won Ms Canada fair and square and she should move on already. It really is up to the other national pageants to decide.
You know, I really feel for Sahar Biniaz! She is the new Miss Canada Universe and by miles the most gorgeous Miss Canada ever since Natalie Glebova yet even after the pageant, all the eyes and spotlights are still on this attention seeker and her loud-mouthed lawyer! Attempting to highjack the spotlights for personal publicity, that is exactly what they are doing! Now when she didn’t win they pulled this stunt. What’s next? I am okay with Jenna competing but it is over and she achieved exactly what she wanted, or at least that’s what she is saying. So, it is time to move on! And I suggest we do exactly the same!
OMG!!! HERE WE GO AGAIN DIDNT SHE GET WHAT SHE WANT??? DANG!!! NO IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE FRANCHISE ON WHETHER THEY WOULD ALLOW!
Yes go ahead, let’s revoke Miss Russia, Miss France, and of course, Miss Venezuela franchises $$$ Let’s see who loses.
Hah, indeed!! Revoke the franchise from Venezuela and Osmel Sousa and from a couple of other Miss Universe powerhouses that have made it clear they are not going to allow transgender competitors, like Puerto Rico and Mexico! Let’s see who loses and what will be happening to the ratings in Latin America, just to start with, and how such “little backers” as Telemundo and others will be reacting!
Personally, I congratulate Miss Universe Canada and Miss Universe to allow transgenders to compete. But I still believe national directors, for the amount of money they spend on the franchise, should at least be allowed to choose, not coerced or blackmailed, into making a decision to allow or not allow transgenders.
Paula Shugart should stand her grounds and allow national directors this choice.
Paula summarized it all well. Anyway, any person that get Gloria Allred to represent them doesn’t deserve to be heard.
She needs to STFU! Period.
Well. It is unfair to say the franchices should be revoked if they do not allow transgendered contestants to participate in Miss Universe. Every national or international pegeant has its own requirements. I don’t see there is a discrimination issue, I think it is about meeting the pegeant requirements. If a person can meet the requirements, that person can join. For example, an unmarried woman cannot join Mrs pegeants because she is not married. She just cannot meet the requirements. Also, there are pageants for transgenders or other group of people. They can choose the pegeant which they are eligible. So I don’t see there is a discriminaton issue.
OH MY GOD!!! Its too obvious that Gloria Allred is taking this “Jenna Fiasco” for publicity! She has NO RIGHT to demand Donald Trump in rebuking every Country’s MU Franchise! Every country has a LAWS and SHE SHOULD KNOW HOW to respect Laws in each COUNTRY!
ITS CLEARLY STATES THAT MISS UNIVERSE IS FOR A WOMAN!!!
MAN IS STILL A MAN even if you had a gender reassignment surgery!