For the second time, the Brazilian miss Aleika Barros, 35 years old, was runner-up on Saturday (12) in the contest that promised to elect the most beautiful transvestite or transsexual woman in the world. This time, at Miss Trans Star, in Spain, she brought 25 candidates and crowned Miss Chile Vanessa lopez.
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Previously, in 2007, Aleika was the first Brazilian to stand on the podium at Miss International Queen, in Thailand, also occupying second place.
In an exclusive interview to THE CAPE, she states that her presence in the contest, almost 10 years after winning the title in Thailand, is like one of her farewells. "Normally, competitions allow entry until the age of 36 or 37. Since I reached 35, I took advantage of this final moment", said she, who in her typical costume represented the Goddess of Prosperity and Wealth.
Taking the Greek belt – as the Brazilian one had already been occupied – the Pernambuco native was supported by Brazilian trans women, who followed the contest on social media. Many even went to Spain to attend the event. "I feel victorious for having received affection and support, for being able to represent our T class. My objective was to give visibility to our cause, to publicize the problems we faced. I was moved by people's recognition and I believe that we must learn to accept the results," she said.
TRANSPHOBIA
According to Aleika, one of the objectives of participating in the contest is to give visibility to the problems that transvestites and transgender women face in the country. "All Brazilian transsexuals have been victims of prejudice or discrimination somewhere, at some point. Many are discriminated against in schools, suffer from malicious comments... I have also been a victim," she declared.
When answering whether the fact of being beautiful frees you from suffering prejudice, Aleika says: "Beauty can free you from some unpleasant situations, but that's until you present your documentation. At this point, many people are starting to treat you as 'Mr. ' or by registered name, disrespecting the social name. That's why we need a gender identity law, so that it's easier for us to change our documents and not go through all this embarrassment."
Concerned about the new generations, she states that the trans community is on the margins and wants government officials to help in the process of fighting and winning for the basic rights of this population. "We have basic and fundamental rights excluded. Sometimes, we take away from transgender people even their very lives for being who they are, because we have become accustomed to not accepting and respecting differences. We have several examples of this, such as the exclusion of transgender teachers in schools or when we refuse to discuss gender and sexuality in these spaces".
CAREER IN COMPETITIONS
In addition to the two titles of international importance, Aleika has a vast CV in competitions. Tall, thin and dark-skinned, she started in 1998 at Miss Pernambuco Gay, moving on to Miss North and Northeast in 1999. In the traditional Miss Brasil Gay contest, she was among the five finalists and could not continue because the contest was aimed at transformers and She already defined herself as transsexual.
In 2002, her career in transvestite and transsexual women contests began. She participated and won Miss Brasil Transexy, even without any breast surgery or plastic surgery. In 2007, she competed for Miss International Queen, in Thailand, and for the first time put Brazil on the podium, with second place among the most beautiful.
And anyone who thinks that Miss Trans Star is the last farewell is wrong: "I will soon be in Italy for Miss Universe 2015, where I will represent Spain or Brazil. And, if everything goes well, I will end 2016 with the last performance in the Philippines. These would be my last performances, but regardless of the result, I will continue to raise our flag." Brazil is in the crowd!
