Thursday, April 21, 2016

Transgender beauty pageant in Thailand(Photos)

Stunning: Sopida Siriwattananookool (centre), last year's winner of Miss Tiffany's Universe, poses with the runners up. The contest has been going since 1998, and draws 100 entrants from across Thailand, all hoping to make the final of the pageant in Pattaya
Sopida Siriwattananookool (centre), last year's winner of Miss Tiffany's Universe, poses with the runners up. The contest has been going since 1998, and draws 100 entrants from across Thailand, all hoping to make the final of the pageant in Pattaya
This is a pageant with a difference, however, as all the women taking part are transgender and used to be men and had operations to become female and they are contestants in the world's most popular transgender beauty pageant. It is a competition which began 18 years ago in the hope it would help breakdown the stigma many of Thailand's transgender community, face on a daily basis.Thirty contestants all fighting it out to be named Miss Tiffany Universe - a title which comes with an impressive array of prizes, including 120,000 baht (£2,300) - more than the average salary in Thailand, and a car.  
Different: This is a pageant with a difference, however, as all the women taking part are transgender and used to be men and had operations to become femaleSuccess: When the pageant started 18 years ago, many worked in the entertainment or sex industries. But pageant chairwoman Alisa Phanthusak says the contest has helped, and many, like Sopida, pictured, are now university educated 
 
Exist: Alisa believes many enter the contest, which whittles competitors down to 30 for the final, just so they can be 'seen' and accepted
Beauty: The entrants are encouraged to wear understated, elegant make up, to make sure they look as feminine as possibleAcceptance: The pageant has grown so much, the final is now broadcast on national television each MayCalm: The cattiness of the traditional women's pageants is not present during Miss Tiffany Universe, says Alisa - a fact which also helps to dispel the false belief that Thailand's transgender community have violent tempers that they are unable to controlVictory: 'Society looks to us for a laugh,' Sopida said. 'We're not a laughing stock or clowns. We just want to make people happy' 
 
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1 comment:

  1. EKATON SYNERGIESApril 22, 2016 at 8:31 AM

    Wonders shall never end, so promote and encourage the process of transferring from man to woman or from woman to man, a beauty pageant has been initiated since 18 years ag?? Jehovah!!!

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