The Miss Universe Singapore (MUS) 2024 recently announced its 15 finalists for the beauty pageant, with the finals taking place on 22 September.
This year, MUS vows to be more inclusive and accordingly, sees its most diverse finalists yet, which include a married transgender woman, 33-year-old Qatrisha Zairyah.
Miss Universe Singapore’s first transgender woman finalist
Taking to its official Instagram account, MUS 2024 shared that Qatrisha is no stranger to beauty pageants as she had proudly represented Singapore and her community on the global pageant stage, winning First Runner-Up in Miss International Queen 2023 in Pattaya, Thailand.
View this post on Instagram
A fashion advisor by trade, Qatrisha shared that she struggled at times to pay rent and is passionate about helping women who have experienced life difficulties and homelessness.
She further asserted that advocacy for her community and women, in general, has made her want to contribute effectively and serve as a strong role model for women of all backgrounds.
The first transgender woman MUS finalist asserted,
“This is why the Home for Change campaign is so important to me. I am confident that I can work effectively with society to make a meaningful impact,
“This project holds great significance for me and is relevant to all aspects of our society. I am committed to fighting for the existence of my people and empowering women worldwide.”
View this post on Instagram
Meanwhile, The Straits Times quoted Qatrisha as saying that it’s about time she could represent her community on the MUS stage.
She added that the beauty pageant is a good opportunity for her to share about her life, her struggles, failures, fears, fighting discrimination and how she’s achieving her dreams of becoming a successful trans woman.
Qatrisha underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2017 and is prepared for criticism as she knows not everyone “can accept people like her”.
View this post on Instagram
Qatrisha has been married to her Singaporean husband for 7 years now and shared that he’s very supportive and that they knew each other when she was 20 years old while she was doing her national service.
She shared,
“He knew me when I was 20 years old, when I was still doing national service. He was with me throughout my transformation journey from a boy to a woman,”
So, what do you guys think of Qatrisha’s story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: M’sian Transgender Competing at Int’l Beauty Pageant Says Life is Tough for LGBTQ Community in M’sia
