For the first time ever, a transgender woman will compete for the Miss Universe crown.
Spaniard Angela Ponce, who was born a man, won the Miss Universe Spain pageant last weekend and will compete in the global beauty pageant once owned by President Donald Trump.
“Let’s make history,” Ponce wrote on Twitter, in English.
“Bringing the name and colors of Spain before the universe is my great dream,” added Ponce in a Spanish-language post on Instagram. “My goal is to be a spokesperson for a message of inclusion, respect and diversity not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but also for the entire world.”
Despite the history-making turn happening nearly three years after Trump sold the pageant, it’s actually thanks to Trump that Ponce will have the ability to compete in the first place.
In 2013, at the urging of GLAAD and facing a potential lawsuit, Trump made the decision to allow transgender contestant Jenna Talackova of Canada to compete, though Talackova never made it as far as the international stage.
Trump sold Miss Universe in late 2015, while running for President of the United States, after ending his long-standing partnership with NBC.
