Overcoming prejudice, Spanish transgender beauty competes at Miss Universe

Miss Spain, Angela Ponce, is the most special contestant at Miss Universe 2018 because she is transgender. Angela Ponce represented her country in Thailand with nearly 100 contestants from around the world after she won the Miss Universe Spain crown in June. Immediately, this transgender beauty's historic victory caused many mixed opinions.

There are many opinions against transgender beauties participating in beauty contests with normal girls. Miss Universe Colombia, Valeria Morales, is one of those who hold that view. Speaking to a newspaper in Colombia, Valeria Morales said that Miss Universe should only be for girls who were born women. "I believe that women have their own nature. There are different developments between us and each one should have their own space to shine. We have our playground and they should have their playground." However, Valeria also affirmed that if the Miss Universe organization accepts transgender contestants, she will also accept them with all love, respect and tolerance.

Miss Spain tactfully responded to Miss Colombia's dissenting opinion as well as all those who opposed her participation in Miss Universe. The beauty wrote: "I never wanted to comment on Miss Colombia's opinion about my participation in the Miss Universe contest but I saw the news and the videos posted. I respect your opinion, but I want to go to Miss Universe without any prejudice towards me, her (Colombia) or anyone else. I want to have a beautiful experience and if she wants to know about me, I want to know about her."

The Spanish beauty further emphasized that she never wanted to try to change the Colombian representative's opinion but wanted to come to Miss Universe to speak up about diversity and call for a world without violence, discrimination and judgment.

On November 29, Angela Ponce arrived in Bangkok, Thailand to begin her journey to conquer the Miss Universe crown with competitors around the world, including H'Hen Niê of Vietnam. She entered the competition very confidently and sociable on the first day. Angela took many photos with other contestants and if you did not know her background, no one would think that the representative of Spain is a transgender.

Angela Ponce was assigned to the same hotel room as Miss Colombia. The two girls will have more time to talk, clear up their differences and understand each other better after the recent scandal. The social networking sites of Miss Colombia are currently posting a series of photos of Miss Spain as a way to show support for this beauty.

Angela Ponce was born male in Seville, southern Spain. Since childhood, she loved playing with dolls and dressing like a girl. When she entered her teens, Angela realized her gender and came out to be true to herself. In 2014, at the age of 22, Angela decided to take female hormones and then undergo gender reassignment surgery. A year later, she entered the Miss World Spain contest and entered the top 10. Overcoming all prejudices, the transgender beauty competed in the Miss Universe Spain 2018 contest and won the crown.