Pageant contestant disqualified over strange circumstances.

Warborn · 2012-03-27, 10:27 PM

Here's the contestant, 23-year-old Jenna Talackova:

She was competing in the "Miss Universe Canada" pageant, which is about the dumbest pageant name ever.

Banned from the pageant! Imagine that. This nice girl? Who'd have thought.

Yeah. Turns out she was born male.

Miss Universe Canada officials have banned 23-year-old transsexual Jenna Talackova, who was born a boy, from competing in the pageant finals to be held in Toronto, Canada in May, 2012.

Talackova, from Vancouver, was one of sixty-five women chosen to compete in the contest, which is owned by Donald Trump.

The Daily Mail reports that Denis Davila, national director of Miss Universe Canada, said every contestant must be a "naturally born female."

Talackova felt that she was a girl by age four, started hormone therapy at fourteen and had sex reassignment surgery at nineteen.

She's previously competed in both transsexual and women's beauty pageants.

Talackova told the National Post: "All I can say is that they disqualified me because I'm not 'natural born.' [That] doesn't make sense because since I was conscious, I always felt this way."

After being kicked out of the pageant, Talackova tweeted: "I'm disqualified, however I'm not giving up. I'm not going to just let them disqualify me over discrimination."

Online support for Talackova is growing. People have started a petition, on Change.org, demanding that she be allowed to compete.

My avatar compelled me to make this thread. Just or unjust? WE REPORT, YOU DECIDE

TheSHiFT · 2012-03-27, 10:39 PM

That's bullshit. I hope she gets back in.

Baneblade · 2012-03-27, 10:56 PM

That's a man, baby!

[/Austin Powers]

Warborn · 2012-03-27, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by TheSHiFT

That's bullshit. I hope she gets back in.

She might. Her story was on the front page of my local newspaper. When it comes to social issues we Canadians are generally fairly good at seeking justice, provided it doesn't involve natives. Hell, we just ruled in favour of legal brothels here in Ontario. So this time next year you'll probably be able to drive up here to get legal prostitutes (who may or may not have been born men).

Vecha · 2012-03-27, 11:36 PM

Maybe I'm an ass...But I don't see this as a big unjust civil right issue.

I guess the case can be made that this interferes with her future livelihood? Maybe? Like...similar to being fired from a job due to be transsexual?

That her identity is tied to be a woman...therefore she should compete with other women?

I dunno, I'm a bit indifferent.

Warborn · 2012-03-28, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by Vecha

Maybe I'm an ass...But I don't see this as a big unjust civil right issue.

If she were born a female and were disqualified for being a lesbian, would your opinion be any different? Why or why not?

Vecha · 2012-03-28, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Warborn

If she were born a female and were disqualified for being a lesbian, would your opinion be any different? Why or why not?

While I see what you are getting at(Both deal with how someone lives their life), I think there is a difference between being homosexual and having a sex change.

ItsTheSheppy · 2012-03-28, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Vecha

Maybe I'm an ass...But I don't see this as a big unjust civil right issue.

I guess the case can be made that this interferes with her future livelihood? Maybe? Like...similar to being fired from a job due to be transsexual?

That her identity is tied to be a woman...therefore she should compete with other women?

I dunno, I'm a bit indifferent.

It's just a sad example of intolerance. That other people can't accept that she self-identifies as a female. Basically, taking agency away from her to identify herself as she likes, and not respecting her as an individual who knows best for themselves.

Firefly · 2012-03-28, 12:28 PM

I can understand why she was disqualified - she fibbed on the application. Same thing could happen if you lied on a resume or job application. Do I agree with the decision? Not really. I mean, I respect that they have their rules and that they upheld them. That doesn't make it popular or right.

Vecha · 2012-03-28, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by ItsTheSheppy

It's just a sad example of intolerance. That other people can't accept that she self-identifies as a female. Basically, taking agency away from her to identify herself as she likes, and not respecting her as an individual who knows best for themselves.

Didn't see this post.

But yes, I agree with you.

It is sad...but not all surprising.

**Malorn** · 2012-03-28, 04:59 PM

Meh.

Figment · 2012-03-28, 03:08 AM

First question would be, does it say in the rules they have to be BORN a woman, or that they have to be a woman?

WildGunsTomcat · 2012-03-28, 03:25 AM

I will say this. If they ban this woman because she used to be a male, and got plastic surgery to become a female...

Shouldn't they ban ALL women that have ever been "modified" by the knife? Be it a nose job, a boob job...whatever?

Just my two cents.

WildGunsTomcat · 2012-03-28, 03:25 AM

Originally Posted by Figment

First question would be, does it say in the rules they have to be BORN a woman, or that they have to be a woman?

Well, that's a tricky question. Mainly because beauty contests are privately funded events so they can make up the rules as they go.

Vancha · 2012-03-28, 05:12 AM

Heard about this yesterday.

It's ridiculous. If she'd changed gender at age 23 and was quite clearly an "ex-man" with a voice an octave or two too low, I could somewhat understand. However, she's a boy-turned-girl-turned-woman, not a boy-turned-man-turned-woman...She quite clearly qualifies for the objective merits upon which these contests are based. If there was a beautiful ovary contest, or "most impressive flow" contest, then you might have some basis for disqualifying this lady, but otherwise? No.