Jenna Talackova

23-year-old Tashi Choden’s win also marks Bhutan’s debut in the 71-year history of Miss Universe.

We talked with Miss Spain, Angela Ponce, to get her take on breaking new ground and having a good chance at bringing home a tiara.

The Miss Universe Organization on Tuesday announced that it is changing its rules and will allow transgender women to take part in all of its competitions starting in 2013.

U.S. businessman Donald Trump, owner of the Miss Universe Organization, on Tuesday overruled a decision by pageant officials, and said a transgender contestant will be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe Canada competition.

A transgender beauty pageant contestant who was disqualified last week from the Miss Universe Canada competition after the organizers discovered that she had undergone surgery to become a woman, may be allowed to re-enter the competition if she can prove she meets the “legal gender recognition requirements,” pageant organizers announced Monday.

A beauty pageant contestant has been disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada competition after the organizers discovered that she had undergone surgery to become a woman. Pageant organizers said that according to official rules, each contestant must be a “naturally born female.”