Then there was Qatrisha Zairyah, Miss Universe Singapore’s first transgender finalist, who finished her history-making run in the Top 5.
To say that Qatrisha received overwhelming support at the finals would be an understatement.
Her friends and supporters, many of whom are from the queer community, showed up in full force, contributing to some of the loudest and most enthusiastic cheers throughout the night.
It was truly a testament to how important Qatrisha’s participation in the pageant was to her community.
“I’m feeling thankful for the achievement I’ve made, regardless of whether I win or not, I’ve won my people’s hearts and have been a great representation for them. It’s a tremendous success for me to be here in a women’s pageant, and to represent women of all backgrounds,” says Qatrisha.
When 8days.sg spoke to Qatrisha earlier this month, she spoke about her family and her 32-year-old husband of seven years, whom she met while serving National Service. We didn’t see her husband in the audience that evening, and thought we might have missed him.
When we bring him up during our interview, Qatrisha candidly reveals: “So here’s the thing. Sadly, we are going our separate ways. It was a mutual decision. We don’t want to put on a show. I know everyone is making a big hoo-ha of me being a married transgender, but it would be just a facade [if he came]. We’re still together on paper, but we’ve decided to go our own ways.”
She continues: “It’s very fresh. That’s why in past media interviews I was so happy to express my feelings and share about my 13-year journey with him. I think it’s time I let the media know that during my pageant journey, we made a mutual agreement to go our own ways.”
Now, Qatrisha is focusing on pursuing her modelling career, while being an advocate for her community.
“I want people to know my story and as the first trans woman who managed to be in the finals, it’s a huge responsibility for me. It’s about time for me to express more, and with this I’ll have more opportunities to represent my community,” she says.
Check out the 8days TikTok page for more behind-the-scenes interviews with the beauty queens.
Photos: Miss Universe Singapore, Adib Haziq