Vietnam to field transgender delegate to Miss Universe, a first for Asia
An international pageant titleholder will represent Vietnam in the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand in November, Nguyen Huong Giang, who will also become the first transgender woman from Asia to compete in the international contest.
The announcement was made through the social media pages of the Miss Universe Vietnam organization (MUVN) close to midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
“She is a living testament to the power of resilience and talent, Huong Giang’s inspiring and proud journey spans across many roles: singer, actress, model, MC, judge and producer,” said the statement in Vietnamese.
In 2018, Nguyen posted Vietnam’s first win in the Miss International Queen pageant, the biggest and most prestigious global competition for transgender women.
It was also in 2018 when Vietnam recorded its highest placement in the Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand, with beloved beauty queen H’Hen Nie finishing in the Top 5. The Philippines’ Catriona Gray won that year.
“And today, after seven years, that flame burns stronger than ever. As the 74th Miss Universe returns to the Golden Temple Land, which is associated with the glorious feats of Vietnamese beauty, [MUVN] has made a special decision: handpick an elite representative, a crowned person of feminine beauty, intelligence, confidence, boldness and above all a good heart that never stops trying,” the statement added.
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It was in 2012 when the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) started allowing the participation of transgender women when Donald Trump, then president of the organization, overturned the Canadian national pageant’s decision to remove trans participant Jenna Talackova from the competition.
But it was only in 2018 when a transgender woman actually made it to the international level when Angela Ponce won Spain’s national pageant. In the Miss Universe competition in Thailand, her participation was celebrated through a special moment on stage.
In the 2023 Miss Universe pageant held in El Salvador, Marina Machete from Portugal became the first transgender woman to advance to the semifinal round.
Nguyen will now try to exceed Machete’s placement and win her second international title by posting Vietnam’s first-ever Miss Universe victory.
More than 130 delegates from around the world are expected to take part in the 74th staging of the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand in November, including pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo from the Philippines.
Reigning queen Victoria Kjær Theilvig will relinquish her title to her successor at the conclusion of the final competition show at the IMPACT Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, northwest of Bangkok, on Nov. 21. /ra
