Was Miss Universe’s first pageant under trans ownership a revolutionary night? Fans are mixed.

There were high hopes that this weekend’s 72nd Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador – the first one produced completely under a trans woman’s ownership – would signal a new era of inclusivity and empowerment for an event that’s long been mired in questions over its relevance in today’s society.

But following a year-long cycle of drama, including sexual misconduct and rigging allegations, complaints of mental health impacts for contestants as well as revelations of financial woes days before the finale, it’s unclear whether that message really came through.

Related:

Nothing can destroy me: Trans tycoon Anne JKN is a hopeless romantic with a knack for making history

The Miss Universe owner spoke with LGBTQ Nation about her traumatic childhood, her glorious transition, and juggling work and single motherhood.

Miss Universe remains true to its identity as a classic beauty pageant, Hilary Levey Friedman, a sociologist, beauty pageant expert, and author of Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America, told LGBTQ Nation. “It’s still a short interview, it’s still swimsuits, it’s still evening gowns. There’s not a new segment of the competition added… but the messaging is certainly more inclusive,” she said.

Never Miss a Beat

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) was founded in 1952 by a clothing company in California, designed to rival Miss America and champion female confidence. The yearly international beauty pageant has since had several owners, including former US president Donald Trump. 

Fast forward a decade and despite claims the entire premise embodies the objectification of women, one of the world’s richest trans women, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, decided MUO would be the feminist feather in her entrepreneurial cap. Jakrajutatip is a Thai media mogul whose company, JKN Global, umbrellas a range of beauty and beverage companies as well as three TV channels. At the end of 2022, it snapped up MUO from events company IMG for $20 million. Despite sharing that her company was in financial difficulty days before the finale, Jakrajutatip still opened the event explaining that Miss Universe’s mission is to empower women and that mission would be taken forward. 

The televised pageant, which saw Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua crowned 2023’s Miss Universe, was one of the first opportunities to see Jakrajutatip’s intentions in action. And viewers say the pageant did indeed feel different. 

“Transgender woman (Portugal) plus-sized (Nepal) mother (Colombia) and of course, Philippines in the Top 20!!!!!! Hello, inclusivity! Hello, Universe!!!!! #MissUniverse2023,” Filipino actress Jervi Li wrote on Twitter. Some praised it as the one of the “best editions” yet. Others said it had “lost the vision,” failed to implement better interview questions, and even accused the show of unfairly blocking Miss Philippines from placing in the top five in favor of Thailand.

The most obvious change was the presence of a more progressive range of delegates. One of the first moves under Jakrajutatip’s leadership earlier in the year was to remove the ban against contestants being married, divorced, or mothers. Michelle Cohn as Miss Guatemala and Camila Avella of Colombia were the first mothers to compete. Avella made it to the top five finalists. 

“I think that rule changes allowing more women to compete makes for a more welcoming environment for everyone,” Jakrajutatip, a mother of two herself, told LGBTQ Nation prior to the finale. The hosts this year were also all female while the event’s selection committee had a female majority.

2023’s iteration also marked the first time multiple trans delegates, Rikkie Kolle of the Netherlands and Marina Machete of Portugal, took part. The first transgender contestant, Angela Ponce competed in 2018’s Miss Universe representing Spain.

All of this shows that there is greater diversity than ever before both within and across pageants, Friedman said. But one area in which she believes it is still lacking is in body inclusivity. “It’s still a very particular type of physique.”

While this year Miss Nepal, Jane Dipika Garrett, became the pageant’s first plus-size model to compete, the remaining 83 delegates still had the stereotypical body type.

As for the format, it largely remained the same, although Jakrajutatip said the interview segment with the finalists was slightly longer than in previous years. This was intentional, she said, so that fans could better get to know delegates and “recognize their own potential as they experience this journey with us.”

The supplementary Voice for Change competition was also a first, allowing for a greater focus on delegates’ social impact and giving fans the opportunity to learn more about their efforts toward achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the finale’s presenters pointed out that, for the first time, the sashes were fully sustainable.

Whether all of this contributed to a rise in viewing figures remains to be seen. The hope was that this year’s viewership would beat last year’s 2.7 million, the lowest figures on record, but the pageant said they’re not publicly releasing this year’s figures. 

Friedman explained that over the years there has been a decline in viewership. “There’s certainly been a shift from the heyday of when these events occurred but, as everyone knows, they do still generate viewership on both social and traditional media,” she said, adding that there’s an LGBTQ+ following in particular. “Because pageants too are about this exaggerated form of femininity and femininity as a performance, it just fits in very well with a lot of ways the queer community can express itself.”

2023’s event is no different, with many taking to X to praise its progression in LGBTQ+ representation. “INCLUSIVITY. Portugal is the first trans to enter the semis while our own Michelle Dee, who proudly identifies as an LGBT member, is also in the semis round. #MissUniverse2023,” wrote one user. 

But Kolle, the first trans woman to win the competition in the Netherlands, shared that she had been apprehensive ahead of traveling to El Salvador. She has experienced online abuse and was concerned about rooming with a delegate she didn’t know. “You don’t know how someone is going to react, especially in my case,” she said. But, speaking to LGBTQ Nation 10 days ahead of the finale and on her sixth day in El Salvador, she described the atmosphere as “kind” and said her roommate, Karol Croes, Miss Aruba, had been nothing but supportive.

Machete, who reached the top 10 on Saturday night, felt the same, describing a behind-the-scenes atmosphere of family rather than one of rivalry. Staff constantly check in on how delegates are feeling, she told LGBTQ Nation. “I had no idea it’d be this way. There’s even more support than what we need.”

This is in contrast to claims from Ina Dajci, Miss Albania 2021, who told Time magazine that the pageant exploited rather than empowered young women, exacerbating their insecurities, and neglecting their wellbeing. 

But Jakrajutatip said part of her ownership has meant “rolling out changes to offer more support for delegates’ wellbeing and mental health, as well as inspiring fans to be positive and uplifting online.” She has long worked to dispel stigma against the trans community through her nonprofit, Life Inspired for Transsexuals Foundation, founded in 2018. 

Even just Jakrajutatip being present as a trans woman, said Kolle, helped in making the space feel safer. “It felt like it was already safe before I arrived in El Salvador because I was coming under the wings of Jakrajutatip.”

Ahead of the finale, Kolle said she was concerned there’d be more negative comments online – which there were – but she believed the MUO team would support her in dealing with them and planned to focus on being a role model to those who see themselves in her story. “That’s something I would like to give to the next generation.”

Just the beginning

While the changes this year were minimal in terms of format, Jakrajutatip has a long-term plan for MUO’s evolution into a more inclusive and empowering operation. Next year, she said, will be the first without the 28-year age limit. Ideas have also been floated to create bespoke products, such as Miss Universe water, skin care and clothing as well as an online content hub. 

“I think it’s important to know that we listen to our fans, and to our audience, and we are working hard to continue to evolve,” Jakrajutatip said. “We are not done by any means. This is just the beginning.”

Rumors have also buzzed about a potential reality TV show that would shadow the various contestants from around the world. There would likely be appetite for this, Friedman said, if it was done right. 

But with the media mogul’s finances in limbo – JKN Global is currently engaging in a  rehabilitation plan to restructure its finances in Thailand – Jakrajutatip’s ownership is potentially under question and, with it, the aspiration for a more progressive pageant model. MUO declined to comment on JKN Global’s financial status but Jakrajutatip did share that “there is so much I’m excited about, for this year and for years to come.”

Online, many viewers echoed sentiments that “the most inclusive [show] yet” would “continue under the new leadership.”

“We’re all waiting to see what happens next,” Machete said.