Transgender Miss Universe Contestant Jenna Talackova Fails to Win Crown
Jenna Talackova, who made headlines as the first transgender contestant for the Miss Universe Canada pageant, did not win the coveted title in the final round of judging Sunday but maintains that she is proud of herself for making it through the competition.
Talackova made it to the top 12 contestants, but did not make it to the final five. She was, however, voted as "Miss Congeniality" by her fellow contestants. Talackova shares this title with three other contestants in the competition.
The 23-year-old Vancouver resident was born male, but underwent a sex operation four years ago to become a female.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
According to E! Online, Talackova told reporters after the pageant Sunday that although she felt a twinge of disappointment, she is still proud of herself for competing.
"[I'm] a little tired, but I'm not down," she told reporters, according to E!
"For a couple of seconds, I was a little bummed out […] But after, like, a couple of minutes I was just extremely happy. I was so proud of myself. I made sure I did my best performance," she added.
Talackova was initially disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada pageant, owned by Donald Trump, as she failed to disclose that she had been born a male.
After much media hype and Talackova's public rebuttal, the pageant decided to reinstate her.
Talackova threatened to sue the pageant, saying that Trump's personal statement does not state that only naturally-born women may compete in the beauty competition.
"I wish Mr. Trump would just say, in plain words, whether or not I will be allowed to compete and, if I win, whether I will be allowed to represent Canada in the Miss Universe Competition," Talackova said in April, before she was reinstated as a contestant.
The pageant then officially changed its rules to allow transgender women to compete in the beauty pageant in 2013.
Sahar Biniaz, an actress from Vancouver, won the Canadian pageant and will represent the country in the international competition for Miss Universe this upcoming December.
