It\u2019s taken 67 years, but when 90 beauty pageant hopefuls strut their stuff across the stage for the Miss Universe competition this Sunday, December 8th, they will be joined by the pageant\u2019s first openly gay contestant\u2014and it\u2019s about time.<\/p>\n
The pageant world isn\u2019t especially known for its inclusivity. Contestants have historically been overwhelmingly thin, white and model tall. But times are changing. Last year Miss Universe had their\u00a0first openly trans contestant\u00a0and this year, for the first time ever, Miss America, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA are\u00a0all black women.<\/p>\n
By being the first out gay woman in Miss Universe\u2019s history, Miss Myanmar Swe Zin Htet is helping to write the next chapter in pageant representation. She\u2019s also leaving a lasting and hopefully change-inducing mark in her own country, where same sex relationships are illegal. \u201cA majority of people in Myanmar are not accepting of this,\u201d Zin Htet says of her sexuality. \u201cBut my goal is to make them look at me and others that are like me just the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
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