Miss International Queen – this Transgender Beauty Pageant is one of the biggest pageants that gathers transgenders/transsexuals from all around the world. Harlan Ai from Japan won the crown for her beauty in 2009.
She was born as a boy called Artit. Today, the former runner up to Miss Tiffany, goes by the nick name Up. Though she feels like a woman, looks like a woman and behaves as a woman, legally she’s still a Mr. She says, she always felt more of a girl, but only after being a public’s choice as the most “beautiful man”, her family and neighbourhood accepted her.
Here are portraits of kathoey with their friends – with people who’ve accepted them and love them for individuals they are.
They come from different social and professional backgrounds and with their diversity do not represent the cliché of a ‘ladyboy’ known as a cabaret artists. They are ordinary people, they are educated and pursue different careers and they enjoy long-term relationships.
