As celebrities and Filipinos celebrated Catriona Gray’s Miss Universe win, Paolo Ballesteros expressed his well wishes to the pageant in a unique way.
The actor performed one of his makeup transformations to pay tribute to one stand-out candidate in the beauty pageant: Miss Spain Angela Ponce, the first trans woman in the history of the competition.
Ballesteros successfully captured her long golden tresses, her long sharp nose and wide smile in a transformation he shared via his Instagram account this afternoon, Dec. 17.
He wrote, “Congrats sister @catriona_gray! Thank you everyone for watching!”
Ponce’s stint in Miss Universe was controversial as some made transphobic comments, stating that she was a man and was not qualified to be in the pageant.
READ: Miss Spain breaking barriers as first transgender Miss Universe hopeful
Transgender people have a gender identity that differs from their assigned sex. In Ponce’s case, she was born a man but identifies as a woman and has transitioned into a woman.
Ponce did not make it to the top 20, but in her tribute video, she proved that she was there for more than just the crown. “I don’t need to win Miss Universe. I only need to be here,” she said.
The Miss Universe organization lifted its ban on transgender contestants in 2012. JB
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