23-year-old Jenna Talackova, a transgender beauty contestant who was disqualified by the Miss Universe Canada organizers, has won widespread sympathy and raised the question of whether or not the pageant has the right to decide who is female, AP reported.

Talackova is obtaining legal counsel and is expected to make a public statement next week.

Connie McNaughton, Miss World Canada 1984, called the decision outdated and discriminatory.

A Vancouver transgender activist, Jamie Lee Hamilton, said Talackova could sue for violation of her human rights because she "is being treated as a second-class citizen".

Prof. Patrizia Gentile of Carleton University said: "We're seeing more and more transgendered women wanting to be beauty contestants. The rule is incongruent with the culture."

(China.org.cn April 1, 2012)

據美聯社報道，23歲的詹娜·塔拉科娃是一名變性選美選手，被世界小姐加拿大組織方取消了參賽資格，她得到廣泛的同情，并使人們質疑，選美比賽是否有權利決定誰是女性。

塔拉科娃計劃咨詢法律人士，有望在下周發表公開聲明。

1984年世界小姐加拿大賽區的冠軍康妮·麥克諾登稱該決定過時并且有歧視。

溫哥華的一名變性活動倡導者杰米·李·漢密爾頓表示，塔拉科娃可以侵犯人權為由起訴，因為她“被當作二等公民對待”。

卡爾頓大學的帕翠莎·金太爾教授說：“我們看到越來越多的變性女子想參加選美。這個規定和當前的文化是不相符的。”