In a historic moment for Puerto Rico, Daniela Arroyo Gonzalez has become the first transgender woman to be selected to participate in the Miss Universe Puerto Rico contest. The largely conservative U.S. territory has never before had a transgender candidate in the pageant. Arroyo Gonzalez is well-known for winning a federal lawsuit against the Puerto Rican government that allowed people to change their gender on their birth certificates.
Arroyo Gonzalez has been an advocate for transgender rights and co-founded the Puerto Rico Trans Youth Coalition, a support and networking group for the transgender community. In a landmark ruling in April 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Carmen Consuelo acknowledged Arroyo Gonzalez and others who brought the lawsuit as champions for those whose voices have been silenced by raw discrimination.
Arroyo Gonzalez will be competing with other candidates representing Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities for the Miss Universe Puerto Rico title. The Miss Universe pageant has allowed transgender participation since 2012, with the first transgender woman competing in the global event in 2018. Last year, a transgender activist and business tycoon from Thailand bought the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million.
Arroyo Gonzalez’s selection for the pageant is a significant step forward for the transgender community in Puerto Rico, where discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community is still a significant issue. Her participation in the pageant sends a powerful message of acceptance and inclusion, and highlights the need for greater representation and visibility of the transgender community in society.