Trans Activist And Thai Media Mogul Buys Miss Universe Organisation
Ms Chakrapong “Anne” Chakrajutathib is a Thai trans activist and media mogul who has purchased the Miss Universe Organisation through JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd. Ms Chakrajutathib believes the move is strategic for her company and an opportunity to use the event as a way to inspire women like herself, reports ABC News.
A BEAUTIFUL LEGACY
The Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) is a global competition that calls women from each country to enter for the opportunity to be crowned in a pageant televised internationally. The Miss Universe Organisation built the event as a way to inspire women to forge a better future through personal, professional and philanthropic endeavours that encourage female empowerment and gender equity.
Ms Chakrajutathib bought the Miss Universe Organisation from IMG Worldwide for a reported USD20 million (AUD31 million) and hopes to continue using the platform as a means of inspiring women. According to ABC News, the Thai businesswoman is vocal about her journey as a trans woman and has launched foundations that aim to support and advocate for the rights of trans individuals.
Since 2018, only one transgender woman has competed in the Miss universe pageant. With Ms Chakrajutathib’s company now owning the MUO, alongside her philanthropic endeavours as a trans advocate, many consider whether the competition will lean into their inclusive message.
“It’s a universal platform… I can become the aspiration for so many people, in particular women, LGBTQ, so they can transform,” says Ms Chakrajutathib. In her youth, the media mogul reports experiences where she faced discrimination either through her all-male schooling or through Thailand’s lack of legal protections for LGBTQIA+ people. “I learned to get through pain, therefore I prepared myself to be ready all the time … I turned pain into power,” she says.
