A transgender woman, who has previously competed in beauty pageants, is suing Miss USA pageants over their ‘Natural Born Woman’ rule under the pretenses of gender discrimination.
According to Oregon Live, Anita Green of Clackamas, Oregon, holds the title of 2019 Miss Earth Elite Oregon, and competed in the 2018 Miss Montana contest but failed to compete in last year’s Miss United States of America pageant due to her application being rejected.
Her lawsuit, which was filed last Tuesday, says she was denied her the full and equal advantages and privileges of the defendant’s services in violation of Oregon’s public accommodations law and is therefore discriminatory, The Washington Times reports.
The Miss USA pageant is a Nevada-based private business, but the suit contends that the nature of the business demands it to adhere to Oregon public accommodation law, in this specific case.
The suit asks a judge to lift the discriminatory application process of Miss USA pageant and remove any restriction on transgender applicants.
Green has had a trailblazing pageant career, being the first transgender contestant in the Miss Montana USA pageant and only the third openly transgender contestant to compete in a Miss Universe pageant competition.
Transgender competitors in female beauty pageants are becoming more of a regular feature.
Miss Spain’s winner, Angela Ponce, became Miss Universe’s first ever transgender entry in its 66-year history.
After winning the Miss Spain competition, Ponce wrote on Instagram: “This is for you, for those who have no visibility, no voice, because we all deserve a world of respect, inclusion and freedom.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrXpGkCH1MF/?utm_source=ig_embed
Ponce went onto say: “And today I am here, proudly representing my nation, all women and human rights.”
