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| Background Pixabay on Pixels/ Qatrisha Zairyah Instagram |
Transgender woman Qatrisha Zairyah has advanced to the top 15 finalists who are vying for the title of Miss Singapore. Once achieving this, the winner goes on to represent Singapore at the Miss Universe Pageant.
Ms. Zairyah is endeavoring to be the first trans woman to represent Singapore at the Miss Universe Pageant and after that, Miss Universe!Because she is transgender Qatrisha Zairyah has additional obstacles to overcome, some physical, but often the most hurtful are verbal and written.
Contestants from Singapore must meet the qualifications set by Miss Universe one of which is to be legally recognized as a woman in their country. In an interview with The Straights Times, Ms. Zairyah confirmed that she had met that criteria by undergoing gender confirmation surgery, a condition set by Singapore, and underwent humiliating visits to doctors to verify her womanhood, so she could participate.
Ms Qatrisha credits her confidence and poise to having taken part in other pageants for transgender women. The 1.8m-tall stunner even clinched the first runner-up spot at the biggest and most prominent one – Miss International Queen 2023 held in Pattaya, Thailand.
“It’s about time I can represent my community on the MUS stage,” she says. “MUS is a good opportunity for me to share about my life, my struggles, failures, fears, fighting discrimination, and how I’m achieving my dreams to become a successful trans woman.”
