Transgender beauty queen can compete for Miss Universe Canada title

(Hey, sorry about the empty post this morning! Somehow Blogger erased the story.) Take a good look at the woman in the picture. That is Jenna Talackova, who is competing for the Miss Universe Canada title, but was disqualified at first. The catch: she was born a HE.

The organization owned by Donald Trump at first denied the 23-year-old admission to participate because in the pageant's instructions, a contestant has to be a naturally-born woman. But, Talackova challenged that and went to the press. The contestant, born a male, started hormone therapy at 14 and had gender-reassignment surgery at 19, and shared her story in a 2010 transgender/transsexual pageant.

Talackova's attorney Gloria Allred called the pageant rules confusing at a recent news conference. "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. "I also want Mr. Trump to clearly state that this rule will be eliminated because I do not want any other woman to suffer the discrimination that I have to endure."

Talackova presented her Canadian passport showing her gender as female. Allred noted that legal teams had been formed in L.A., New York and Canada aimed at ridding the contest of the rule.

Now the Trump organization has given Talackova permission to compete, granted she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada. As of now, her picture and information have not been restored to the pageant website and she has not declared whether or not she will compete. 

Werk, Jenna!