Donald Trump is close to signing a deal with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to allow women who are transgender to compete in his Miss Universe pageants, sources tell Page Six.
Trump and GLAAD have been ironing out the details of the rule change for two weeks, ever since Jenna Talackova was nixed from the Miss Universe Canada pageant for having been born a man.
“For more than two weeks, the Miss Universe Organization and Mr. Trump made it clear to GLAAD that they were open to making a policy change to include transgender women,” said GLAAD spokesperson Herndon Graddick. “We appreciate that he and his team responded swiftly and appropriately. At a time when transgender people are still routinely denied equal opportunities in housing, employment and medical care, today’s decision is in line with the growing levels of public support for transgender people across the country.”
Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, took a shot at Talackova’s attorney Gloria Allred, who this week fired at Donald Trump, “Stop being focused on genitals.”
Shugart said, “We want to give credit where credit is due, and the decision to include transgender women in our beauty competitions are a result of our ongoing discussions with GLAAD and not Jenna’s legal representation, which if anything delayed the process. We have a long history of supporting equality for all women, and this was something we took very seriously.”