Israeli Catholic wins first ‘Miss Trans Israel’ pageant

[River 127,410]

An Israeli from a Catholic Arab family was crowned the winner of the country’s first transgender pageant.

Ta’alin Abu Hanna, 21, from the northern city of Nazareth, wore a white bridal dress as she was declared the first “Miss Trans Israel” on Friday at HaBima, Israel’s national theater, in Tel Aviv.

She described her victory as “historic” and said it promotes equality.

She will represent Israel at the Miss Trans Star International pageant in Spain in August — the first time an Israeli will participate.

She also will receive $15,000 worth of plastic surgery treatments from a hospital in Thailand, plus airfare and a hotel stay during the treatments and recovery.

Ta’alin Abu Hanna celebrates winning the Miss Trans Israel pageant on May 27, 2016. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Israel is generally tolerant of gay people, and Tel Aviv has emerged as one of the world’s most gay-friendly destinations.

The Israeli city stands in sharp contrast to many parts of the Middle East, where gay people are often persecuted.

A Christian Arab-Israeli ballet dancer, Abu Hanna told reporters she is “proud to be an Israeli Arab,” noting, “If I had not been in Israel and had been elsewhere — in Palestine or in any other Arab country — I might have been oppressed or I might have been in prison or murdered.”

Abu Hanna beat out 11 other finalists, a diverse group spanning Israel’s geographic, ethnic and religious diversity, including a Russian, Muslims and residents of Beersheba, Haifa, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. At least one finalist grew up in the haredi Orthodox community.

Miss Trans Israel finalist Maya Smadja prepares for the pageant in Tel Aviv, May 27, 2016. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Several finalists told reporters they had struggled with the disapproval of family members — with some eventually finding acceptance and others not. Caroline Khouri, of the Arab town of Tamra, told NBC News her male relatives tried to murder her after learning of her plans to transition from man to woman.

“My cousins, my father, my brother-in-law all came and beat me and took me by force and cut my hair, tied me to the bed and left me there for three days with no food,” she said. Rescued by the police, the 24-year-old said she remains estranged from her family.

A formerly haredi Orthodox contestant, Aylin Ben-Zaken, said she “looked like a rabbi” before her transition, and ran away from home at age 15. But many in her family accept her now, she said.

“Three years ago I didn’t talk to my mom. Now she loves me, and I go to Shabbat dinner,” the 27-year-old told NBC News.

Friday’s pageant consisted of a swimsuit competition, two formal-wear competitions and a question-and-answer portion.

Ta’alin Abu Hanna, shortly after winning the Miss Trans Israel pageant on May 27, 2016. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Asked about “pinkwashing,” the accusation that Israel exploits its LGBT rights record as a PR coup to hide its alleged abuses of Palestinians, pageant organizer Yisraela Stephani Lev said, according to The Jerusalem Post: “Listen, there isn’t propaganda here. We live in Tel Aviv, in Israel, the only sane country in the region where people can live as gays or transgender and no one is going to throw them off the rooftop or slaughter them. This is just the reality here. It’s not some sort of brainwashing or pinkwashing or whatever.”

Lev said hundreds of trans women contacted her “from Dan to Eilat, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Bedouin,” and that they held three auditions beginning in March to select the finalists. Criteria included not just physical beauty but a “sort of coexistence and diversity,” Lev said, adding, “We are looking for coexistence, because this is the beginning of peace.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-catholic-wins-first-miss-trans-israel-pageant/

 

[The Surrealist 27,470]

Yes 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

Maybe not pinkwashing but can they stop implying that other countries in the region are barbaric in their dealings with LGBT people by default? Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt may not be Provincetown but they aren't Uganda either. 

--- We live in Tel Aviv, in Israel, the only sane country in the region where people can live as gays or transgender and no one is going to throw them off the rooftop or slaughter them. This is just the reality here. It’s not some sort of brainwashing or pinkwashing or whatever.”---

WTF? She can go **** herself. She can show this isn't pinkwashing without spreading lies about other people's countries for self-validation. Also it's a goddamn lie since Israel has had its fair share of hate crimes.

[Azor Ahai 18,861]

I'm sure that arab transgirl represents the daily abuse Palestinians face from the Israel apartheid.

Also this totally isn't propaganda at all guys, she even said it! If she says so then it's not...

[brizoda 4,177]

uh oh, Israel is sooooooooooooooo democràtic (it is a joke)

[lego 44,165]

16 minutes ago, Azor Ahai said:

I'm sure that arab transgirl represents the daily abuse Palestinians face from the Israel apartheid.

Also this totally isn't propaganda at all guys, she even said it! If she says so then it's not...

 

"It’s not some sort of brainwashing or pinkwashing or whatever.”

This just shows they're ignorant about what pinkwashing even means.

 

[River 127,410]

35 minutes ago, LebaneseDude said:

Maybe not pinkwashing but can they stop implying that other countries in the region are barbaric in their dealings with LGBT people by default? Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt may not be Provincetown but they aren't Uganda either. 

--- We live in Tel Aviv, in Israel, the only sane country in the region where people can live as gays or transgender and no one is going to throw them off the rooftop or slaughter them. This is just the reality here. It’s not some sort of brainwashing or pinkwashing or whatever.”---

WTF? She can go **** herself. She can show this isn't pinkwashing without spreading lies about other people's countries for self-validation. Also it's a goddamn lie since Israel has had its fair share of hate crimes.

I didn't write anything because I went to eat. but the pinkwashing part disturbed me so much.

Because there is pinkwashing, the Israeli government using the LGBT community at any moment that it's good for them while voting "no" for many pro-LGBT laws and not about marriage but about discrimination and against hate crimes.

I'm happy that she won, very happy for her that she feel that she can walk free in a country, but it's still not 100%, most of the transgender in Israel can't find a job, so they work as a prostitutes, the police is beating them up just for fun and the list go on and on..

If I'm not wrong there are few arabic countries that accepting more transgenders than gays..

(I'm pretty sure that what she said "throw them off the rooftop or slaughter them" is about ISIS).

 

*the rest of the comments here are really not adding to the topic so I'm not going to even reply to them..

[Melech 9,900]

3 hours ago, Azor Ahai said:

I'm sure that arab transgirl represents the daily abuse Palestinians face from the Israel apartheid.

Also this totally isn't propaganda at all guys, she even said it! If she says so then it's not...

 

2 hours ago, YourSweet666 said:

 

"It’s not some sort of brainwashing or pinkwashing or whatever.”

This just shows they're ignorant about what pinkwashing even means.

 

Oh c'mon guys, how dare Israel to have some decent views on  LGBT issues right? Pink washing was,is and will be a lie. 

[Melech 9,900]

2 hours ago, River said:

I didn't write anything because I went to eat. but the pinkwashing part disturbed me so much.

Because there is pinkwashing, the Israeli government using the LGBT community at any moment that it's good for them while voting "no" for many pro-LGBT laws and not about marriage but about discrimination and against hate crimes.

I'm happy that she won, very happy for her that she feel that she can walk free in a country, but it's still not 100%, most of the transgender in Israel can't find a job, so they work as a prostitutes, the police is beating them up just for fun and the list go on and on..

If I'm not wrong there are few arabic countries that accepting more transgenders than gays..

(I'm pretty sure that what she said "throw them off the rooftop or slaughter them" is about ISIS).

 

*the rest of the comments here are really not adding to the topic so I'm not going to even reply to them..

Not arabic, but I think in Iran gays are sometimes "forced" to change their gender, not sure though 

[Melech 9,900]

3 hours ago, brizoda said:

uh oh, Israel is sooooooooooooooo democràtic (it is a joke)

you wanna know whats also a joke?

[Melech 9,900]

3 hours ago, LebaneseDude said:

Maybe not pinkwashing but can they stop implying that other countries in the region are barbaric in their dealings with LGBT people by default? Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt may not be Provincetown but they aren't Uganda either. 

--- We live in Tel Aviv, in Israel, the only sane country in the region where people can live as gays or transgender and no one is going to throw them off the rooftop or slaughter them. This is just the reality here. It’s not some sort of brainwashing or pinkwashing or whatever.”---

WTF? She can go **** herself. She can show this isn't pinkwashing without spreading lies about other people's countries for self-validation. Also it's a goddamn lie since Israel has had its fair share of hate crimes.

Egypt tho? Wasn't there lately some gays prisoned ? I know that Lebanon and Jordan are "more" gay friendly though 

[River 127,410]

49 minutes ago, Simon said:

Not arabic, but I think in Iran gays are sometimes "forced" to change their gender, not sure though 

Yeah I read something about it.. I'm not sure if it's really true or not..

47 minutes ago, Simon said:

Egypt tho? Wasn't there lately some gays prisoned ? I know that Lebanon and Jordan are "more" gay friendly though 

Egypt it depends on the area and the city I think..

And Jordan (omg our old lovely sister turned 70!!!) and Lebanon are really open, they have bars and stuff like Wolf Bar and Bardo in Beirut, even Syria was before the mess..

Honestly, last year in Israel there was the pride terror attack with the orthodox guy so it's still not safe to be gay or transgender in Israel and outside Tel-Aviv..

 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

Egypt tho? Wasn't there lately some gays prisoned ? I know that Lebanon and Jordan are "more" gay friendly though 

Well yeah. There are still some incidents. It's a farcry from being a death sentence though.