The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Aria hoping to change her life and help others
perth: Miss Transgender UK contestant fundraising for stillbirth and neonatal charity
Aria Welsh will compete against 30 other women from across the UK in Miss Transgender UK in a bid to claim the national title and a trip to Thailand for the gender reassignment surgery.
The kind-hearted 26-year-old from Perth has been saving up for the surgery but says if she wins she will donate those savings to charity.
The winner of the competition, if medically fit and chosen by the hospital, will also get a modelling contract with the world-renowned Kamol hospital, as well as flights and accommodation.
Aria, who was born as a boy called Thomas, came out as transgender three years ago but says she has felt “different” since she was seven.
She said: “I’ve always been feminine and used to pretend a towel wrapped around my head was long, flowing locks.
“I first came out to a transgender friend who helped me lots and was my rock. I then came out to my mum and my ex-fiancé.”
Aria said the breakdown of her relationship was the hardest part of coming out. She said: “In hindsight, it needed to happen so doors could open up for me. The most uplifting thing for me is to be free, to be who I was supposed to be. To live my life by my own rules and not society’s.”
Miss Transgender UK entrants have to raise money for a chosen charity before going to the final in Cardiff in November.
Aria has decided to raise money for Stillbirth and Neonatal Death (Sands), a charity that has been close to her heart since her family suffered a huge loss in 2003.
She said: “Sands helped my family when we lost my brother, who was a stillborn baby 15 years ago.
“I was only 11 years old at the time but I was definitely old enough to feel the pain. The reason I’m getting involved in this is that I can raise money for my charity of choice. It isn’t just your run of the mill beauty pageant.”
If Aria is successful in her fundraising efforts she will be invited to the final along with five other lucky contestants.
The aspiring pageant queen would get the chance to perform in categories such as best evening gown, best talent and best creation.
Proud mum Rachel Scott, 48, said: “I loved Thomas but sometimes I struggled to like him when he was a teenager.
“Aria, on the other hand, is a far more responsible and settled person who I am proud to call my daughter.”
Aria has set a target of £1,000 but hopes to raise more. People can support Aria by donating at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aria-welsh