JKN Global Group, the company that oversees the Miss Universe pageant, has filed for bankruptcy after controversy surrounding transgender-identifying participants. The news comes just days before the 2023 pageant is set to take place.
The Miss Universe pageant has been under increasingly more public scrutiny since 2018 when the first biological man participated in the event. In 2022, the organization was acquired by JKN Global Group, a company under the leadership of Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, a transgender-identifying biological male. The company also acquired both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
When Jakrajutatip first took over Miss Universe, he stated, “We seek not only to continue its legacy of providing a platform to passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions, but also to evolve the brand for the next generation.”
The forthcoming pageant is set to challenge traditional norms by featuring transgender-identifying contestants, including two biological males from Portugal and the Netherlands.
Last month, after public…
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