Shaine Soni, a fashion designer by profession, on Saturday was crowned Miss Transqueen India, a beauty pageant for the transgender people of the South Asian country.
She is going to represent India at next year's Miss International Queen, the world's biggest beauty contest for transgender women, as reported by CNN.
Miss Transqueen India was established by Reena Rai in 2017. It has all the features of a traditional beauty pageant including talent rounds, photoshoots, elaborate costumes, judges and hundreds of audience members.
This year, organizers were not able to hold the pageant owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fashion designer Shaine Soni was crowned Miss Transqueen India, the country's beauty pageant for transgender women. She will represent India at next year's Miss International Queen. https://t.co/4cDRlE5ACq
— CNN (@CNN) December 19, 2020
But Reena Rai, also the chairperson of the competition, refused to give up; she was set on sending a contestant to represent India at Miss International Queen next year.
Rai told CNN over the phone: "My pageant isn't just about beauty, it is about empowerment and inclusion.
"If I am going to send someone without holding a competition, then I have to make sure that they are a very strong candidate, the best of the best, someone who knows the value of [becoming Miss] Transqueen India.”
People in the pageant circuit were familiar with Soni’s work as a fashion designer and stylist. She looked like an obvious choice for the competition.
Soni was not vocal about her own transgender identity as she struggled to be accepted by her friends and family. But Rai motivated her to accept the title and represent India on the world stage.
Rai continued: "She [Soni] has always been a very strong backbone for Transqueen India.
"I told her that because you've been with us and how important it is, and because you have been struggling with publicly coming out, this might be the best platform to do so because it is something that a lot of people will draw strength and inspiration from."