From Country Gal To Next Miss Trans Global?

“I thought that I could use all my experience (both life and professional) to take the next step forward in advocating for the transgender community.”

Being a representative of your community is a great responsibility. Putting yourself in the limelight and being different from the ‘social norm’ can be daunting, but to also be faced with the risk of outing yourself makes doing so exponentially more difficult. 

However, for multi talented 36 year-old model, radio presenter on The Gender Agenda on Joy 94.9, and co-founder of Melbourne based community group Trans Sisters United, Rebeckah Loveday this seems to have come secondary to being a voice for her community.

Miss Loveday who began her transition in her teens knowing she has always been a female. 

It has not always been easy for her though, being super shy in her teens, with limited options growing up in the country. 

For the first 10 years of transition she was not open about her gender identity due to being surrounded by certain prejudices, discrimination, stigmas. 

It took awhile for her to find her feet to be happy and safe in the skin she is in, this did not happen until she moved to Melbourne where she started working in a support role to other transgendered people. Through this Loveday started advocating for trans people, alongside also telling her story about her gender identity. 

Over the last several years she has assisted in the delivery of Trans and Gender Diverse Awareness and Inclusion training, spoken at awareness IDAHOBIT and taken part on the above radio program The Gender Agenda.

This experience has allowed Miss Loveday to go from strength to strength and feel liberated in being an open women of transgender. 

The public speaker and representative of the trans community is currently in the running for Miss Trans Global. 

Miss Trans Global is an international online pageant for trans and gender non-confirming people from all backgrounds to raise awareness on transgender and LGBTQI issues around the world. 

Star Observer spoke with Miss Loveday about this opportunity to be the representative for Australia in the competition. 

“I never really had experience with pageants until the start of this year when I hosted the Miss Gay and Miss Trans Australia International pageant based here in Melbourne. I was also a judge within the same pageant a few years earlier. When I saw Miss Trans Global advertised, the fact that they were looking for someone with intelligence, confidence and an ability to complete the duties that come with the title of Miss Trans Global, I thought that I could use all my experience (both life and professional) to take the next step forward in advocating for the transgender community,” Loveday said.

“I feel that I have a driven and genuine invested interest in educating people on the discrimination and prejudice that transgender people face as a community. I believe that the best way to move forward for true equality is through education and humanising the trans experience, allowing the world to see transgender people authentically and not how we are portrayed in the media. I know that I have the strength, determination and will ability to push this agenda forward.

“I would be provided a platform to fiercely fight for the rights of transgender people globally. It would also mean that I would be able to continue to uplift and elevate the voices of other community members whose voices are often spoken over or erased. Until we are all deemed equal, the fight must continue.

“It would mean that my community would have someone representing them on a global scale that can continue to fight for their rights and ensure that they also get a seat at the table. With great power, comes great responsibility and I hope that if I am titled Miss Trans Global 2020, I would make my community proud.”

In great sportsperson attitude she ended by wishing her fellow contestants good luck, especially her Aussie sisters who are running in Sydney and thanking Miss Trans Global for the opportunity to compete.

Miss Trans Global is judged by a panel of six people, international flight attendant and board member of two LGBTQI organisations Candi Stratton, Freelance Writer and Founding Editor of TransGriot blog Monica Roberts, Founder and Director of CliniQ Counselling and Wellbeing Michelle Ross, Fashion Designer at KatalunaKoture and an advocate for mental health and transgender youth Kataluna Eniquez, Executive Director of Miss Trans Star International Victoria Maxima Caram, Founder of Diaspora For Friends Of Africa Amanda Uzoma McQueens and Beauty Advisor Karin Kisaki. 

Good luck Miss Loveday and to all the contestants!

Miss Trans Global is running from July 1-August 1, 2020.

If you want to read more about Rebeckah Loveday or any of the other contestants head to www.misstransglobal.com, where you will also be able to vote.