Pageant Allows Transgender Contestant To Compete

theindychannel.com/CNN ^ | April 3, 2012 | Marina Landis / Chris Boyette

[Abathar]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- After initially disqualifying a transgender contestant, organizers of the Miss Universe beauty pageant have reversed course saying she can participate.

In a statement late Monday night, the Miss Universe Organization said Jenna Talackova can compete provided "she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions."

The statement, however, did not elaborate on what the requirements were.

The news came a day before Talackova was expected to hold a news conference with high-profile feminist lawyer Gloria Allred to talk about her experience.

Until now she hasn't spoken to reporters, and it was unclear whether the news conference Tuesday will proceed as planned.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, commended the pageant organizer's decision Monday night.

"The Miss Universe Organization made the right decision and has taken an important first step," the group said in a statement.

[ExTxMarine]

People will loose interest in these pageants if this continues. Straight folks just don’t want to watch.

One, viewership of these types of shows are already down - WAY down. Last year's uptick in viewership was an outlier and decisions like this will ENSURE it was an outlier.

Two, how in the HELL does a man who wants to be a woman (who can NEVER BE a woman) advance the causes and issues which women face? Can this man really speak about the dangers of breast-cancer, when he decided to enhance and enlarge HIS breasts? This disease is VERY bad for woman (and men)(I KNOW - my Grandmother died from breast cancer and my mother has had two bouts with it), but it is a mockery for a MAN to try and speak from a woman's perspective about these issues! Hell, even the liberal nut jobs state as such, "You are a man, you don't understand." Well, guess what, THAT'S A MAN, BABY!

To think otherwise is simply so overtly stupid and out of bounds with reality that most normal people cannot even grasp the acrobats necessary to reach their point! You cannot argue with an idiot on this level - they have no clue what reality is and no amount of facts will bring them back into our realm!

[Catholic Canadian]

Okay. This is the most absurd things I have ever seen. We are truly doomed.

Count me firmly in the camp with our Evangelical Christian brothers and sisters now. The end is coming. I fail to see any other direction in which we are hurtling as a civilization.

[rlmorel]

"...The statement, however, did not elaborate on what the requirements were..."

I was going to mention something having to do with golf balls and garden hoses, but I will keep it civil.