Daniela Arroyo González Will Be First Out Trans Woman To Compete In Miss Universe Puerto Rico
March 3, 2023An openly trans woman has been chosen to compete in the Puerto Rico Miss Universe contest for the first time.
Daniela Arroyo González was selected Thursday to compete for the Miss Universe Puerto Rico title, according to the Associated Press and New York Daily News.
It was her second attempt at qualifying. The winner will go on to represent Puerto Rico in the global Miss Universe pageant, per the Daily News.
Image Credit: Pixabay
As ‘People’ writes, Arroyo celebrated her landmark selection in a video shared to her Instagram page on Monday, which she captioned, in part, “Let's make history together!”
“The emotion and pride that I feel in this moment overwhelms me with joy,” Arroyo said in the video, adding that she is “deeply grateful” for the support she has received.
Now, Arroyo is looking forward to sharing her “journey to the Crown” with her supporters. “It's time to show how far we can go,” she said at the end of the clip. “This is my time.”
Arroyo is the co-founder of the Puerto Rico Trans Youth Coalition, a support and networking group, according to the AP.
Previously, Arroyo participated in a federal lawsuit against Puerto Rico's government, which argued that people should be permitted to change the gender printed on their birth certificates, the news agency reported.
Arroyo also works in public relations and aims to create positive change through communications, according to Miss Puerto Rico Universe officials.
“She wishes to live in a less polarized society, where differences can be appreciated and embraced as something positive that unites, instead of something that separates,” the organisers wrote in a statement, according to New York Daily News.
Trans contestants have been allowed to compete for Miss Universe since 2012, according to the outlet, which reported that Miss Spain Ángela Maria Ponce Camacho was the first openly transgender contestant to compete in the global pageant in 2018.
In Oct. 2022, Thai businesswoman and trans rights advocate Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip purchased the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million (approximately £17 million).
Read related myGwork articles here:
Trans Business Tycoon Buys Miss Universe Pageant
Miss Myanmar Becomes The First-Ever Openly Gay Miss Universe Contestant
Miss Universe Competition Plays Tribute Video to First Trans Contestant
Ángela Ponce becomes first trans Miss Universe contestant
Keep up to date with the latest myGnews