Transwoman wins Miss Universe Spain 2018

MANILA, Philippines – Miss Universe Spain crowned a transwoman on Friday, June 29, the first for the beauty pageant.

Angela Ponce, 25, will represent Spain in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant scheduled end of the year. Her win comes as Pride Month comes to a close.

No hay meta imposible de lograr. No hay sueño imposible de cumplir. Sólo depende de nosotros hacerlo realidad. . Mi realidad por @ivandumont  @orgbemiss . #missuniversespain2018  #somosmasdeloqueves  #soybemiss

A post shared by Angela PONCE (@angelaponce.15) on Jun 23, 2018 at 4:51am PDT

This is not the first time Angela competed in a beauty pageant. She joined Miss World Spain in 2015 but did not win. Mireia Lalaguna, who won the contest, went on to win the Miss World title that year.

Although she lost in 2015, Angela told the Daily Mail that she already felt like a winner when she competed in Miss World Spain.

“I have the regional crown on my head,” Angela said about representing Cadiz at that time.

“And I will keep fighting to make us seen, to make us heard and to demonstrate that I am already a queen with my own crown.”

In 2012, the Miss Universe Organization announced that it was allowing transwoman candidates to participate. It is unclear if the rule still applies after Donald Trump, who then owned the pageant, sold it to IMG.

Angela will compete alongside the Philippines’ Catriona Gray, who hopes to take home the country’s 4th Miss Universe crown. – Rappler.com