Miss Universe widens access

The Miss Universe pageant is to allow transgender women to take part in all of its competitions starting in 2013, the organisation and gay rights group GLAAD said yesterday.

The decision follows an outcry over the disqualification of Canadian contestant Jenna Talackova from the upcoming Miss Universe Canada contest because she was not a “naturally born female”.

Ms Talackova, 23, who underwent gender reassignment surgery when she was 19, was reinstated to the Canadian competition last week by businessman Donald Trump, who owns the Miss Universe organisation.