The First Time, A Beauty Contest In Nepal Followed By Transgender Finalists

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - When Angel Lama, 21, steps off the catwalk at the Miss Universe Nepal final on Wednesday, December 30, she will make history as the first transgender woman to become a finalist in the Himalayan nation's most glamorous annual event.

Nepal is one of the few countries in the world to accept transgender contestants in beauty pageants, and is also the third country in Asia after Myanmar and Mongolia, say LGBT + activists.

As reported by Antara, Wednesday, December 30, this step came after the new management relaxed the participant's criteria in terms of height, weight and appearance. They allow any brave, beautiful and confident woman aged 18-28 years to participate.

"I joined Miss Universe Nepal to show diversity in society," Lama told Reuters.

"If I stand on stage and show myself this, it will be the greatest crown ever."

The national director of the Miss Universe Nepal organization, Nagma Shrestha, said everyone was equal, regardless of their sexual orientation.

"If they say they are women, they are women, and should be treated as women," said Shrestha, 29, who became the first Miss Nepal to represent her country in Miss Universe 2017.

She changed the rules so that transgender people could participate. He wanted to reinforce the message of inclusiveness through this contest.

Transgender is legally recognized in Nepal, but some families still find it difficult to accept it.

Angel Lama's parents wanted their child to marry and have a family, but Angel chose to work for an LGBT + Blue Diamond Sociaty rights group.

In 2018, she competed in an LGBT + contest and was crowned Miss Pink Nepal which finally made her family accept her as a trans woman.