India crowns its first transgender beauty queen

In a hotel in the satellite city of Gurgaon, close to the Indian capital Delhi, 16 would-be beauty queens from across India helped to make history Sunday when they competed in the country's first ever transgender beauty pageant.

Miss Transqueen India aimed to celebrate gender fluidity and enhance the profile of India's trans community, with the winner being presented with an opportunity to represent India at the International Queen pageant in Thailand in March 2018.

Like other pageants, the event featured plenty of glitter and rhinestones, but unlike other pageants, Miss Transqueen India made a point of declaring all the participants "winners," in recognition of their struggle for acceptance and recognition.

Transsexual Australia and long-time transgender activist Gauri Sawant, who after lengthy deliberation, declared 26-year-old Kolkata-based Nitasha Biswas as India's very first "Trans Queen."

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