Miss South Africa Pageant Open To Transgender Entrants

Miss South Africa Pageant Open To Transgender Entrants

 For the first time in history, South Africa’s premiere beauty pageant will allow transgender women to compete.

“Trans women are eligible to enter the Miss South Africa pageant,” the Miss SA organisation said on its website as entries for the competition opened up on Monday.

“However, in order to be eligible to compete internationally, the contestant must be in possession of a valid South African ID document reflecting that their amended sex is female.”

Miss SA is accepting trans women this year. This is exciting news!!!!!

— Duchess of Modelling 👠 (@Rivoningo_C) May 24, 2021

The historic move was widely and excitedly embraced on social media.

Homosexuality is legal in South Africa, blazing a trail in a continent where homophobia is virulent and same-sex relationships are often repressed by law.

The competition itself was previously hailed for breaking beauty stereotypes by crowning Zozibini Tunzi, a short-haired woman with a darker complexion, as the 2019 winner.