The Miss Ile-de-France Committee announced Thursday that Andrea Furet, a transgender woman, will be one of the contestants competing for the title of Miss France 2023.
Furet, a biological man, is fresh off a successful run at Miss Paris, winning first runner-up. The national pageant changed its rules this past June, allowing women taller than 5 feet, 5 inches, mothers, smokers, and even those with tattoos to compete. Previously, the height requirement was what held Furet back from competing.
Rule changes came about after the feminist organization Osez le Feminisme sued the pageant system in October of last year. National laws that ban discrimination based on genetics or family situations helped tilt the new rules in Osez le Feminisme’s favor.
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Furet predicted that the initial pageant would set a precedent.
“I always wanted to do it, and when I realized it was possible, I did it. I don’t regret it!” Furet said immediately following the pageant. “Being first runner-up is crazy. It proves that people are ready for change, are ready for inclusiveness and living together. It’s very nice. This title is really synonymous with victory.”
“For us, Andrea is a candidate like the others,” the president of the Miss ile-de-France committee, Laure Mattioli, said. “This new rule does not change the treatment of candidates. She is female on her marital status. That’s all that matters. I do not enter the privacy of girls.”
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There are 15 other contestants competing for the title, with three other Parisians like Furet. The competition will begin Oct. 22 in Dammarie-les-Lys.
