Transgender woman Jackielynn Pradhan has won the Miss Universe Sikkim title and is set to represent the state in the Miss Universe India contest in a groundbreaking moment for the broader LGBTQ+ community.
This is the first time a transgender person has won the title in the state.
“This has been my dream for the past nine years. Miss Sikkim has turned into reality, and I am so proud of myself and my community (LGBTQ+),” Jackielynn told The Telegraph.
A resident of Jorethang, Jackielynn continuously faced struggles in her life that also “affected my education”. “I used to be bullied in school a lot,” recounted Jackielynn.
“But I never gave up. My parents, L.M. Pradhan and Pricella Gurung, always supported me. I also held on to a ray of hope. I would tell myself that I would become something in life,” said Jackielynn, who aspired to participate in a pageant and do modelling since 2016.
Jackielynn, 21, beat 45 other contestants from the state to win the week-long contest on Sunday night.
“Her participation conforms to the norms of the Miss Universe rules. She underwent a surgery two years ago and is considered a woman,” said Bijay Subba, proprietor of POSITUDE (positive attitude), an event management company that has been organising Miss Universe Sikkim since 2013.
Girls aged between 17 and 29 with a minimum height of 5.2 feet can participate in the Miss Universe Sikkim contest.
Transgender participation in Miss Universe contests is rare. Jackielynn joins Navya Singh, who last year became the first transgender woman to compete in the Miss Universe India pageant.
At the global stage, transgender women Rikkie Kollé, Miss Netherlands, and Marina Machete, Miss Portugal, had participated in the Miss Universe contest in 2023.
The first transgender participant in the Miss Universe contest was Angela Ponce, who represented Spain in 2018.
Despite the change in perception from marginalisation to greater acceptance and visibility, the LGBTQ+ community is still facing major challenges.
“Even after winning the title, I am still being cyberbullied. I represent not just my community but the entire women from Sikkim,” said Jackielynn.
On Wednesday, a meeting was held in Namchi for the formation of a transgender protection cell in Sikkim.
Sources said the meeting aimed to implement The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights), Act, 2019, with a focus on safeguarding rights, streamlining registration processes, and ensuring prompt investigation and protection measures for the transgender community.