TN trans beauty to represent India at Miss International Queen in Thailand

Namitha Marimuthu will walk the ramp representing India at Miss International Queen, the world’s biggest beauty pageant for trans women, in Thailand on June 25. The pageant aims at creating awareness of equality for the LGBTQIA+ and transgender community.

Namitha, selected by a team of Miss International Queen to represent India at the pageant, says girls who represent our country in international pageants do get sponsorships but not transwomen. “I want our government to support me. My mission is to highlight the lack of awareness and the need for expert doctors for transition (sex reassignment) surgery. A friend of mine passed away due to unqualified doctors handling her surgery. We do not have the latest surgical options or equipment,” says Namitha.

Talking about her transition, Namitha says: “I did my surgery 12 years ago in India and had to undergo another in Bangkok around 7 years later. There is a lack of awareness and knowledge about sex reassignment surgery in our country. I aim to ensure adequate education for doctors and experts with the help of international doctors so that the best transition surgeons are available in India. I am taking up this cause as my main focus in the competition apart from ensuring inclusiveness for the LGBTQIA+ community,” Namitha adds.

The beauty pageant Miss International Queen is held annually in Pattaya and all the monetary profits of the show go to the Royal Charity AIDS Foundation of Thailand. Namitha is the first transwoman to participate in the TV reality show Bigg Boss Tamil and she is also the national mentor for the transwoman pageant in the country. She has been involved in social work for the upliftment of transwomen in the country. “During the COVID pandemic, I worked for the under-privileged community by providing food and clothing to them with the help of NGOs,” she says. “My aim will be to create an equal society sans judgement of any form,” Namitha adds.