On December 25, transgender beauty pageant contestants will head to Puerto Rico for the Miss Trans Star International competition. The competition’s CEO, Arianna Lint, chose to host the event in the US in order to send a message. In an interview with LGBTQ Nation, she said,
“We cannot fight outside of the borders. This is the United States, and this is the country of opportunity for everybody. We cannot say, ‘Oh, the United States is not a safe place for us.’ We have to say, ‘Listen… We can fight.’”
Arianna is also the Executive Director of Arianna’s Center, a South Florida based nonprofit serving transgender women of color. She sees the pageant as complimentary to the nonprofit, as winners get to travel the world to help educate others on the issues facing the transgender community, and help improve transgender visibility. For maximum impact, the event will be held in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico for the next three years.
They plan on coordinating with local universities to assist with educating people on transgender issues. Jack Nielsen, Deputy Director of the organization says that initiatives like this are what set the Miss Trans Star International pageant apart from other competitions. He said,
“It’s not that other pageants don’t do that. I think we are focusing a little more heavily on that and really trying to ensure, as a global ambassador for trans women, that her voice is heard and utilized as much as possible…The girls are not afraid of who they are… We are here, we’re going to really make an impact… and really elevate trans women around the world because of it.”
