Miss Universe Puerto Rico has announced that Gabriel Rodriguez Velazquez will compete in its 2026 national pageant, becoming the second openly transgender woman to enter the competition.
Ms. Rodriguez Velazquez, representing the municipality of Cidra, follows in the footsteps of Daniela Arroyo Gonzalez, who made history in 2023 as the first transgender contestant to participate in Miss Universe Puerto Rico.
In statements shared through official Miss Universe Puerto Rico platforms, Ms. Rodriguez Velázquez described her participation as an opportunity to advocate for human rights, dignity and inclusion, both inside and beyond the world of beauty contests.
“I want to be Miss Universe Puerto Rico because of what I represent: a woman who stands for equality and respect,” she said in a promotional video released by the organization.
In response to criticism directed at Ms. Rodriguez Velazquez, the LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico issued a statement affirming her right to compete under existing rules and condemning hostile reactions as discriminatory.
“Trans people have dreams and aspirations like anyone else,” said federation director Ivana Fred Millán.
Miss Universe lifted its ban on transgender contestants in 2012, following backlash after Canadian officials disqualified a contestant upon learning she was transgender. The policy officially took effect for the 2013 competition season. Six years after the rule went into effect, Angela Ponce of Spain became the first openly transgender competitor at the international level, in the 2018 edition.
The pageant’s ownership has faced its own turbulence in recent years. In 2022, Thai businesswoman Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, who is a transgender woman, acquired the Miss Universe franchise through her company JKN Global Group. Ms. Jakrajutatip was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison by a Bangkok court in a fraud case tied to a corporate bond investment, with the verdict delivered in absentia after she failed to appear.
Puerto Rico will host the 75th Miss Universe pageant at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan in November 2026. Should Ms. Rodriguez Velazquez win the national competition, she would go on to represent Puerto Rico at that event.
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