Most of us didn’t watch the Miss Universe Pageant on Saturday night. Heck, most of us didn’t know the annual pageant aired on Saturday. When there was a confused and confusing headline on Sunday morning, I thought that the new Miss Universe was a biological male or transwoman. The headlines were so bad that HITC. a British entertainment website, felt the need to publish an article titled, “MISS UNIVERSE 2023 WINNER R’BONNEY GABRIEL IS NOT TRANSGENDER OWNER ANNE JAKRAJUTATIP”. For someone like me who grew up loving all beauty pageants, it was a relief and a surprise that R’Bonney Gabriel is not a transwoman.
It was a relief that R’Bonney Gabriel is a real woman and a surprise because, apparently, men really are better at everything including being women. A teenage boy won the Miss Greater Derry Pageant in New Hampshire. An overweight teenage boy, at that. Shushing women who point out that Transwomen are men is a further step in the erasure of women. Here is the opening of the HITC article:
Miss Universe 2023 has crowned its new winner, but some viewers have confused the new beauty queen with transgender owner Anne Jakrajutatip.
Filipino-American beauty queen R’Bonney Gabriel earned the US its ninth Miss Universe victory after winning Saturday night’s final in New Orleans, Louisiana.
R’Bonney, 28, made history as the oldest success story and first winner of Filipino ethnicity. She took the crown ahead of Venezuela’s Amanda Dudamel and Andreína Martinez, of Dominican Republic.
Not all eyes were on R’Bonney, however, after the passionate speech from Miss Universe owner Anne Jakrajutatip. Some viewers have even muddled the two glamorous ladies, so HITC is here to set the record straight.
No, the headlines and the articles were unclear. Oof.
R’Bonney may have been the winner, but Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip has earned some of the spotlight with her empowering speech as the new Miss Universe owner.
Also known as Anne JKN, the 43-year-old is a businesswoman and chief executive of JKN Global Group, a Thai-owned media conglomerate. Anne JKN is transgender and is hoping to spread advocacy for her community through her new Miss Universe platform, which was purchased by JKN Global Group in October for $20 million.
Congratulations to R’Bonney Gabriel, we are very glad you are a biological female. What sparked the confusion was that the viral clip from the pageant was Anna Jakrajutatip. Here it is:
I swear Anna said “Run by WE MEN. Owned by Transwoman.”
The LGBTQIA community heard it differently:
📢 "[Miss Universe is] gonna be run by women, owned by a trans woman, for all women around the world to celebrate the power of feminism."
🏳️⚧️ Miss Universe's new trans owner, Anne Jakrajutatip, said "time is up" for a male-run pageant at this year's final.pic.twitter.com/VraQ8jNx8h
— Openly 🏳️🌈 (@Openly) January 16, 2023
The message about feminism is not one that we all want to hear AND might be more convincing coming from a REAL woman. I am not the only consarned by this event:
So a man dressed up like a beauty queen is hosting Miss Universe extolling what it is to be a feminist in our 2023 🤡🌎. Makes perfect sense. How is this not the most misogynistic thing ever? 😂 https://t.co/yHW6eBe3SN
— Champagne Joshi (@JoshWalkos) January 15, 2023
Even more disturbing is the women clapping and cheering in the audience. What in the actual Hell? Stand up. Speak up. OR…GET ERASED.
Featured Image: Aida P. Fita/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons
Carol Marks says: I am so glad you took this one. I wanted to do it, but we were on the road traveling. And I know I would not have done it the justice that you have given it. Plus I too was confused.
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