Married transgender beauty queen Qatrisha Zairyah among finalists in Miss Universe Singapore 2024[]
On Wednesday, 28 August 2024, married transwoman Qatrisha Zairyah was unveiled as one of the top 15 finalists for Miss Singapore Universe 2024. It was the first year the pageant was embracing diversity. Though the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) had allowed transgender contestants who were legally female to participate since 2012, this was the first time in the local pageant’s 70-year history that a trans woman had made it as a finalist. However, it was not Qatrisha's first foray into the world of pageants. She was the first runner-up at the Miss International Queen 2023 held in Pattaya, Thailand. The 33-year-old fashion adviser also took part in two pageants for transgender women in 2023 – Miss Trans Star International in Barcelona and Miss Equity World in Bali.
The 1.8m-tall beauty shared that her journey was not an easy one for her and her family. “It took some time for them to actually accept me ‘cos we are Muslim," she said. "But my mum now understands me. And my dad, when he visited me at my workplace and [understood that I'm] not doing anything illegal, slowly, they were able to accept me," she added. Qatrisha also shared that in Singapore, post-op transgender women were able to legally change their gender to female. Undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2017, it allowed Qatrisha to marry her 32-year-old Singaporean husband, who worked as a non-destructive testing inspector, and apply for a HDB flat. Married for seven years now, the couple first met when she was 20 and serving her National Service.
Despite her previous experience with pageants, there was still a lot riding for the Qatrisha. Should she take the crown on coronation night, she would become the first trans woman from Asia to compete at a Miss Universe pageant. Miss Universe 2023 featured two transwomen for the first time – Miss Portugal Marina Machete and Miss Netherlands Rikkie Kolle. In July 2024, MUS also announced that the competition would be open to Singapore citizens who were married, divorced, and had children. There was also no upper age limit though applicants need to be at least 18 years old. Though details for the finals were yet to be revealed, the 73rd Miss Universe pageant was set to happen on 16 November 2024, at the Arena CDMX in Mexico.
See also[]
References[]
- https://www.straitstimes.com/life/miss-universe-singapore-2024-embraces-unprecedented-diversity-with-slate-of-finalists
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/505452298739417
- https://www.todayonline.com/8days/married-transgender-beauty-queen-among-finalists-miss-universe-singapore-2024-2480586
- https://mustsharenews.com/miss-universe-transgender/
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/535591595717937
- https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/local/qatrisha-zairyah-miss-universe-singapore-traditional-malay-wedding-husband-835371
Acknowledgements[]
This article was written by Roy Tan.