Meet Miss Universe’s first transgender contestant
MISS Universe Spain is beautiful, intelligent and ready to take on the pageant world. But this beauty queen has already made history.
ANGELA Ponce, 26, made history on Friday when she was crowned Miss Universe Spain, becoming the pageant’s first transgender titleholder.
“Bringing the name and colours of Spain before the universe is my great dream,” wrote Ms Ponce in Spanish on Instagram shortly after her win, reports The Advocate. “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.”
In 2012, the Miss Universe Organisation ended its ban on transgender contestants. Ms Ponce will go on to represent her country at the Miss Universe pageant later this year.
And this isn’t her first pageant. In 2015, Ms Ponce, who’s originally from Seville, competed for Miss World Spain (which is not affiliated with Miss Universe). And while she didn’t nab the crown, she was happy to represent her province, Cadiz.
“I have the regional crown on my head and I will keep fighting to make us seen, to make us heard and to demonstrate that I am already a queen with my own crown,” she told the Daily Mail.
The stunning 24-year-old, who had been turned away from modelling agencies in Sydney for three years, said she hoped her Chinese-Australian background would open up the industry to other ethnicities.
“I used to see former Miss Universes like Jesinta Franklin, Rachael Finch and Jennifer Hawkins and see them as the typical Australian girl,” Ms Hung told news.com.au. “I never thought that could be me.”
Ms Hung’s father is Chinese and mother is Irish/Australian.
“I grew up in an Anglo-Saxon area, and I felt like the odd one out because of my heritage. I was embarrassed and struggled to accept it.
“I hope this is an opportunity to show people if you look or feel different, you are a true representation of the Australian culture. What set me apart was my cultural background, and a bit different for [the] Miss Universe competition.”
Ms Hung recently completed an undergraduate degree in arts and sociology and is now studying a masters in publishing at the University of Sydney
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission.