First ever transgender beauty contest kicks off

MUMBAI - The first ever dedicated beauty pageant for transgenders - “Vcare Indian Super Queen” kicked off in Mumbai Monday.

“The contestants shall be judged on the basis of their creativity, special skills and confidence, and the grand finale shall be held here Feb 21,” transgender activist Laxmi Narain Tripathi told media persons here.

“The contest will aim to bring out the community of transgenders, urge them to unite and emit positive vibes about what they are and what they can do. It is not about who is the best and most aesthetically beautiful, but about who is willing to proudly display their character, take pride in who they are and to prove that they are as human as the rest of us,” Tripathi, who attained fame after a reality television show, said.

Her company, Twelve Noon Entertainment has tied up with Vcare, a diversified business conglomerate for the mega event, said Tripathi, flanked by Bollywood actors Celina Jaitely and Seema Biswas.

Besides Mumbai, the contest auditions and eliminations shall be held in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Jaipur, she said.

The chosen contestants would compete in the semi-finals and the 12 semi-finalists would then undergo rigorous training, grooming and personality sessions to face the grand finale, which would be judged by Bollywood hunk Salman Khan, the former oomph girl Zeenat Aman, socialite Parmeshwar Godrej and fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani.

The top three contestants shall get prizes of Rs.1.20 lakh, Rs.800,000 and Rs.500,000, respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Celina said: “It’s a pleasure to live in a country where human rights and equality amongst all are appreciated. It’s time for much-suppressed ‘kinnars’ (eunuchs or transgenders) to come up on the stage and show the world that beauty exists in all human beings - gender has nothing to do with it.”

Endorsing her views, Tripathi added that all transgenders are keen to blend with the society and be seen nothing less than a female. “Whatever they do, no matter how much they alter ourselves, they will always be who they are and should celebrate and be thankful to have the opportunity to live life, possess the natural gift to gift love and be loved,” she urged.