Miss World is already in its 68th edition but it has yet to have a transgender woman as a titleholder or even as a candidate. Allowing transgender women to compete in beauty pageants traditionally for natural-born women is still debatable even though they have been allowed to join Miss Universe since 2012.
In my personal interview with Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez during her send-off party at the Patricia Hall of Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on November 8, 2018, I asked her about her thoughts on transgender women being allowed to join Miss World. She said, “If you affiliate yourself as a female, as a woman, I think that there’s nothing (that should) stop you from joining Miss World.”
“How you… whatever you circle when you fill out those forms, that’s what you are, that’s what you are recognized as,” Rodriguez added. “A transgender woman is recognized as a woman. She technically has no reason to not be able to join (Miss World).”
In 2012, Jenna Talackova was the first transgender woman to join Miss Universe in a national level. She was originally disqualified from competing in Miss Universe Canada but then Miss Universe Organization owner Donald Trump reversed the decision.
Talackova only made it to the Top 12 of Miss Universe Canada 2012 so technically, it is Angela Ponce who is the first ever Miss Universe contestant in the international level. The latter is representing Spain in Miss Universe 2018.
On December 17, 2018, Talackova will compete against 93 other women for the Miss Universe 2018 crown at Impact in Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand on December 17, 2018. It is the 67th edition of the international beauty pageant run by Miss Universe Organization and headquartered in New York City, New York.
On the other hand, Miss World is headquartered in the United Kingdom. On December 8, 2018, Rodriguez and 117 other women from around the world will compete for the Miss World 2018 crown at the Sanya City Arena in Sanya, China.
Here is my short interview with Rodriguez:
CONAN Daily 
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