On a recent visit to Guatemala, the reining Miss Universe Ximena Navarrete met with transgender women who have been victims of abuse and discrimination.
Acting as an ambassador for PASMO, an organization that does education and prevention work on sexually transmitted diseases, Navarrete expressed support for transgender women, saying they deserved legal protections and better access to employment and medical care.
It’s not the first time she’s spoken out for equality. “I don’t believe it’s just to discriminate against someone based on the gender they prefer,” she told an interviewer shortly after being crowned Miss Universe. “The truth is that I am absolutely against discrimination. ... I have many friends who are gay and I adore them. … There is no reason why we shouldn’t let them enjoy what they want to enjoy with their partner.”
