A finalist in the Miss Galaxy beauty pageant claims she was disqualified for being trans

Jossy Yendall, a care worker from Gateshead, says when she applied for the pageant, she mentioned in her application that she was trans. She said she was then delighted to find out that she had made it through to the final of the UK competition.

However, the 29-year-old told ITV she was shocked to be told by organisers that she had been dropped from the contest because she’s not ‘biologically’ female.

Ms Yendall said: “I mentioned in my application that I’m a transgender female – it was the first thing I put so they knew it was there.

“I was so proud to think that we finally live in a society that accepts transgendered women to this extent. But when I emailed to secure my place I mentioned this and was instantly informed I was no longer eligible to compete. They say they hadn’t spotted that I was transgender – according to their rules you have to be born female to take part in the pageant.”

Following her exclusion, Yendall started a petition to call for a change in the policy.

On the petition she wrote: “I know that I am not the only one to have experienced this treatment. Routinely women like me are excluded from mainstream pageants because of the body that we were born in.

“This needs to change. Excluding us is not only outdated and transphobic, but I am sure flies in the face of UK laws like the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and The Equality Act 2010. If transgendered celebrity Caitlyn Jenner can be named Woman of the Year, why can’t women like us have the chance to compete in these contests?”

The Miss Galaxy pageant is yet to respond to a request for comment.