Transgender Woman Crowned Miss Universe Spain 2018

Angela Ponce, a transgender woman, has been crowned as Miss Universe Spain 2018, just as the Pride Month came to an end on June 29. She will now be representing Spain in the Miss Universe Pageant at the end of 2018.

Ponce on Instagram

The 25-year-old took to Instagram to express her gratitude. She said, “My biggest dream is to present the name and the colors of Spain before the universe. My goal is to be a spokesperson of a message of inclusion, respect, and diversity, not only for the LGBTQ+ community but also for the whole world,” reported LGBTQ Nation.

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She had represented Cadiz in the Miss World Spain Pageant in 2015. Ponce lost to Mireia Lalaguna. Lalaguna eventually went on to win the Miss World title that year.

While talking to Daily Mail, Ponce had said that even though she had lost the title in 2015, she already felt like a winner when she competed in Miss World Spain.

She added, "And I will keep fighting to make us seen, to make us heard and to demonstrate that I am already a queen with my own crown."

Why is it historic?

The win is extremely important as well as historic. Ponce has become the first transgender woman ever to win the Miss Universe Spain pageant ever since the rules were changed.

It was in 2012 that the Miss Universe Organization announced that it will now allow transgender women candidates to participate in the pageant.

The Miss Universe Pageant was owned by Donald Trump then. After making racist statements about Mexicans in 2015, he lost his partnership with NBC, reported Rappler. This eventually led him to sell the pageant to IMG talent agency.

Ponce will now be competing alongside the Philippines' Catriona Gray. Philippines' candidates have won three Miss Universe titles til now.

Picture Credit: Instinct Magazine