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| Jenna Talackova |
TORONTO (Toronto Sun)- A local transgender woman ousted from the Miss Universe Canada beauty contest is seeking legal advice after pageant organizers disqualified her.
According to the pageant’s website, Jenna Talackova, 23, “will not competein the 2012 Miss Universe Canada competition because she did not meet therequirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form.”
In a statement to QMI Agency on Sunday, the Vancouverite seemed unfazed and said she hopes to turn the situation into a positive one.
“What I can say is that I am very disappointed with the decision taken by the Miss Universe organizers," she wrote. "However, I will look to turn the situation into a positive so that other people in a similar situation are not discriminated against in the future.
“I would like to do an interview, but as you can appreciate, I have to seek legal guidance first. Once I have done this, I will be in touch.”
When Talackova was listed among the 65 finalists revealed March 12, transgender communities celebrated her selection. But after the pageant announced the disqualification Friday, fans expressed their outrage on the Miss Universe Canada Facebook page and called on the organization to reinstate Talackova.
A prominent transgender advocacy group also slammed Miss Universe Canada after the pageant announced the disqualification Friday.
Mara Keisling, the executive director of the Washington D.C.-based NationalCenter for Transgender Equality (NCTE), questioned the pageant organizer'smotives.
"It's straightforward. They made a decision that they want to discriminate against transgender women," Keisling told QMI Agency.
"More and more people understand this person is a woman. There's nothing about her that should disqualify her."
Talackova had competed in pageants in the past and could be seen in online videos as a Canadian contestant at a Thailand transgender beauty pageant in 2010.
Her photograph has since been removed from Miss Universe Canada's site, and the organization did not respond to QMI Agency's request an interview.
According to requirements on the pageant’s website, “To qualify for the 2012 competition, you must be a Canadian Citizen and at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age by February 1st, 2012.”
Keisling said she hasn’t found any broken requirements and it seems as if the pageant made rules up “on the fly” to disqualify Talackova.
“It makes you wonder what they’re afraid of,” she added.
The 61st annual Miss Universe Canada pageant will be held in Toronto on May 19.
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