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[soultron]

Link to story here.

VANCOUVER — Vancouver's Jenna Talackova was everything Miss Universe Canada was looking for when she was selected among 65 finalists for the 2012 competition, to be held in Toronto in May.

But the Donald Trump–owned beauty pageant confirmed Friday that the 23-year-old has been disqualified from the competition.

The reason, Talackova claims, is she was born male.

“She did not meet the requirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form,” stated a Miss Universe Canada release issued on Friday.

“We do, however, respect her goals, determination and wish her the best,” it concludes, without specifying what requirements she did not meet.

Talackova set the blogosphere abuzz earlier this week after it was discovered she had sexual reassignment surgery in 2010.

Her profile and photos from the pageant’s website were subsequently pulled.

The statuesque blond told The Vancouver Province Friday she needs to speak to her lawyer before taking part in interviews.

But Talackova has made statements online over Twitter about being “disqualified for being born.”

By March 18, she had apparently already been told by Miss Universe Canada her place in the competition was in jeopardy.

“Still waiting to know if I’m able to compete ... praying and fingers crossed,” she Tweeted that day.

Two days later, she got the news.

“I’m disqualified, however I’m not giving up,” she wrote, defiantly. “I’m not going to just let them disqualify me over discrimination.”

Responses to her plight posted online have been mixed.

Some have welcomed her inclusion in the competition, while others believe such pageants are for women born as women.

Miss Universe Canada contestants must meet a basic requirement of being a Canadian citizen and between the ages of 18 and 27 to compete.

They also must not be married, pregnant, and have to fill out a more comprehensive form if they meet the basic requirements.

There is no mention of rules regarding sex-changes or cosmetic surgery.

Talackova has been rather open about her transsexual past online.

During an interview for a transsexual beauty pageant in Thailand — Miss International Queen 2010 — the Canadian representative refers to herself as “a woman, with a history.”

That history includes recognizing herself as a female since the age of four and beginning hormone therapy when she was 14.

You can click the link to the article if you want to view the picture. I know this thread's going to turn into a string of "Would," but I'd like to discuss this as an actual topic.

I think it's sad that she was disqualified. In my opinion, the entire point of the Miss Universe pageant has always been about conforming to a highly-idealized view of the female gender. Couldn't you argue that the entire pageant is partly a performance based on expressing this idealized view of female gender?

I'm interested to hear what trans-GAF (if they'd feel comfortable commenting) thinks about this.

 

[CHEEZMO™]

Very unfortunate.

 

[Data West]

Without knowing anything else,

Someone give her surgeon a prize. He does pretty good work.

 

[CFMOORE!]

Without knowing anything else,

Someone give her surgeon a prize. He does pretty good work.

agreed.

 

[soultron]

Very unfortunate.

It's only a beauty pageant... but it's sad that she's clearly devoted a lot of her time to this. I don't know her, but you could almost say she likes the idea of being female so much that she chose to participate in something that celebrates (again, an idealized view of) femininity.

I actually work with a former Miss Universe Canada and want to ask her opinions of this. She's very religious so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Piecake]

Without knowing anything else,

Someone give her surgeon a prize. He does pretty good work.

yup

 

[SoulPlaya]

I think anyone who has had plastic surgery should be DQed. Honestly.

 

[2th]

Without knowing anything else,

Someone give her surgeon a prize. He does pretty good work.

I have to agree

 

[Emitan]

Bullshit.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Damn she's pretty.

 

[Good Job Bob]

What a shame.

She's really pretty too:

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

That is unfortunate.

She's really attractive as well.

 

[alr1ght]

they look like department store mannequins.

 

[Ponn]

She was disqualified for having sharp knees.

Spoiler

i'm guessing

 

[Van Owen]

Might as well get up in arms about them discriminating against pregnant and married women too while you're at it.

 

[Loofy]

She looks like donald trumps daughter.

 

[Kinitari]

Might as well get up in arms about them discriminating against pregnant and married women too while you're at it.

Well except there is mention of no pregnant or married women - I don't know WHY - but those are at least the rules - there are no rules about transsexuals, and this lady entered with that knowledge.

That being said, the pregnant and married rule is dumb too.

 

[Amagon]

She's beautiful but thats lame that they kicked her out of the pageant.

 

[TheMan]

goddamn

someone, anyone, get that woman a hamburger or something

 

[mollipen]

Without knowing anything else,

Someone give her surgeon a prize. He does pretty good work.

The problem I have with comments like this is that it isn't just surgery. Some transgirls have operations for things like re-shaping the bone structure of their faces or whatnot, but others are the way they are simply due to hormones and/or lucky genetics.

Jenna started hormone replacement therapy at the age of 14, meaning that she probably went through little to no male puberty. That would be far more responsible for her looks than any downstairs surgery—something that would do nothing for changing how passible she looks when you see her.

That's also what really makes this story worse in my mind—her transitioning in early puberty. If we want to make the argument that there's some "realness" scale, then she would certainly count as being more "real" due to that point.

 

[Valnen]

Wait, why can't contestants be married?

Sounds pretty stupid all around.

 

[soultron]

Might as well get up in arms about them discriminating against pregnant and married women too while you're at it.

Good point.

The point someone made about plastic surgery was also interesting.

Being honest, I unfortunately don't have enough interest in arguing the specifics of beauty pageant rules past the original article. It's completely with the committee's rights to do so, but it's just unfortunate that someone devoted so much time and money to a cause that they were ultimately turned away from.

 

[rdrr gnr]

Christ, that's some good work. Not sure if I have any issues either way. Don't know about the pageant environment outside of the info in the OP.

 

[Van Owen]

Well except there is mention of no pregnant or married women - I don't know WHY - but those are at least the rules - there are no rules about transsexuals, and this lady entered with that knowledge.

That being said, the pregnant and married rule is dumb too.

Do you have a link to the complete set of rules

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

goddamn

someone, anyone, get that woman a hamburger or something

Sausage?

 

[Kinitari]

Do you have a link to the complete set of rules

Miss Universe Canada contestants must meet a basic requirement of being a Canadian citizen and between the ages of 18 and 27 to compete.

They also must not be married, pregnant, and have to fill out a more comprehensive form if they meet the basic requirements.

There is no mention of rules regarding sex-changes or cosmetic surgery.

Is all I have, what else would I need?

 

[RatskyWatsky]

She's really hot.

 

[Atramental]

Wowzers.

She would fool me.

 

[ChocolateCupcakes]

Without knowing anything else,

Someone give her surgeon a prize. He does pretty good work.

This. In the last pic she looks like Elliot in Scrubs.

 

[Van Owen]

Is all I have, what else would I need?

Well, it's only being theorized that she was dqed due to being born with a penis. It is possible that there are other reasons.

Regardless, it's a private contest and if they want to update their ruleset as they see fit they're within their rights to do so.

 

[lush]

Would.

 

[FelixOrion]

Wait, why can't contestants be married?

Sounds pretty stupid all around.

I think that's the "Miss" part of the title.

 

[mollipen]

Regardless, it's a private contest and if they want to update their ruleset as they see fit they're within their rights to do so.

Sure, but if there was nothing in the rules at this point saying that transsexual couldn't enter, there's no valid reason for disqualifying her. Change the rules afterward, fine.

But then again, I'm arguing about a contest that is already utterly ridiculous in the first place.

 

[Devolution]

If the competition (as much as I loathe them) is to look and perform with the pageant's idea of femininity and she qualifies, I don't see their problem.

Well, it's only being theorized that she was dqed due to being born with a penis. It is possible that there are other reasons.

Regardless, it's a private contest and if they want to update their ruleset as they see fit they're within their rights to do so.

I don't see a specific rule about being born with a vagina.

 

[Ooccoo]

IT'S A TRAP!

Spoiler

would

 

[bonesmccoy]

Her legs look really strange.

Crushing for her I'm sure, but I'd offer her the same advice I'd give anyone desiring enter that kind of contest: Grow up and move on.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Somewhere, Shidoshi is upset by this decision

 

[Devolution]

IT'S A TRAP!

Spoiler

would

Do you think this is at all appropriate?

 

[soultron]

Sure, but if there was nothing in the rules at this point saying that transsexual couldn't enter, there's no valid reason for disqualifying her. Change the rules afterward, fine.

Yeah, I'll agree with this.

I think it was her publicising the details of her transformation process online was what buried her, in the end. It's a shame that she'd have to hide part of who she is in order to "fool" them. Maybe she would've made it all the way if there were no details available until afterwards. Makes you wonder if anyone else has done the same thing without telling anyone about their transformations.

 

[mollipen]

Somewhere, Shidoshi is upset by this decision

By "somewhere" do you mean "four posts up"?

Yeah, I'll agree with this.

I think it was her publicising the details of her transformation process online was what buried her, in the end. It's a shame that she'd have to hide part of who she is in order to "fool" them. Maybe she would've made it all the way if there were no details available until afterwards. Makes you wonder if anyone else has done the same thing without telling anyone about their transformations.

I would have loved it if she hadn't said anything, won, and then in her acceptance speech, just walked up to the mic and said, "I'm your new Miss Universe, and I used to be a man bitches!" and just walked off stage.

 

[lush]

So was there any actual explanation for her disqualification? How can they pull that off if there's nothing in the rules about it? Some bull.

 

[soultron]

By "somewhere" do you mean "four posts up"?

Banned for not reading the god-damned thread. It's not even past 1 page yet.

 

[fireside]

Wowzers.

She would fool me.

I don’t think that’s a very nice choice of words.

 

[Van Owen]

If the competition (as much as I loathe them) is to look and perform with the pageant's idea of femininity and she qualifies, I don't see their problem.





I don't see a specific rule about being born with a vagina.

I'm sure there is a clause where they're allowed to change the qualifications as they see fit.

You may not like that they're doing it now and not for next years pagent, but you don't dictate how they run their little beauty contest, so tough cookies.

 

[CHEEZMO™]

IT'S A TRAP!

Spoiler

would

Edit: That was quick - I'd barely uploaded my gif.

 

[soultron]

So was there any actual explanation for her disqualification? How can they pull that off if there's nothing in the rules about it? Some bull.

The committee running the pageant are free to rewrite the rules as they please, I'd assume. She's seeking litigation centring around this discrepancy, however.

 

[TheKaeptain]

I honestly think any woman that has plastic surgery should be DQ'd from events like this.

 

[big_z]

goddamn

someone, anyone, get that woman a hamburger or something

A lot of transsexuals starve themselves because if they don't they tend to have a manly frame.

This girl looks pretty decent, early hormone therapy is key imo. Still has a bit of that plastic surgery look which is a shame.

 

[TUSR]

Thats very interesting, it kind of sucks that she got shut down. It was her choice how she wants to live her life.

 

[Devolution]

I honestly think any woman that has plastic surgery should be DQ'd from events like this.

Why?

Better question, whose fucking business is it as a way to disqualify someone?