Transgender women allowed in Miss Universe
The Miss Universe beauty contest is to allow transgender women to participate in the 2013 pageant.
This comes a week after organisers ruled a transgender woman would be able to vie for the crown this year.
Pageant officials in New York say they have been working with campaign group GLAAD to finalise the official rule policy change, ahead of trials this summer for next year’s pageant.
The move comes about a week after the organisation said that 23-year-old Jenna Talackova could compete. The Vancouver resident underwent a sex change four years ago after being born a male.
Her sex change initially led organisers in Canada to disqualify her from the 61st Miss Universe Canada pageant in May, citing a rule that she must be “naturally born” a woman.
Ms Talackova pleaded to drop the rule.
