Miss Universe Spain 2018 will go down in the history of beauty pageants as it crowned its first ever transgender queen this Friday, 29 June, 2018. The newly crowned Miss Universe Spain 2018 Angela Ponce, was crowned and becomes the first trans-woman to ever become a contendor of the Miss Universe pageant. She will now represent Spain at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant.

The 26-year-old from Seville was chosen from 20 women.

When Angela Ponce joined Miss Universe Spain 2018, it wasn’t just for herself. Through her representation, Angela wished to be a spokesperson for a message of inclusion, respect and diversity not only for the LGBTQ + community but for the entire world. Her message for the LGBTQ community along with her unwitting charm definitely made her a front runner at the competition, and added her to our list of the Top 5 Hot Picks for the Miss Universe Spain 2018 elections.

(Photo Credits: Miss Universe Spain Instagram Official)

Angela’s candidature had read;

What starts a new path A road of pride, work and illusion.

Proud to be here, officially aspiring to represent everything beautiful of my land, my culture and my people.

Working to be the best version of myself, learning and improving as a professional and person.

But always with enthusiasm, the same as when I was a little girl watching these spectacular women on television making their catwalk, hope to think that today I am one of them and have the opportunity to live something like this, an opportunity to use this universal platform to something transcendetal, something that goes far beyond the physical. A message of inclusion, tolerance, respect and above all love for oneself and for all others.

I am excited about the change, feeling that my voice is strong and my message can cross borders. Illusion of thinking that you can.

Angela had mentioned in her interviews recently that her journey so far had been difficult, and that she knew she was a woman. 

A step in the right direction, Angela’s win comes as something bigger than the Miss Universe Spain 2018 pageant, and the beauty queen herself.