A 26-year-old transgender woman recently made headlines after getting crowned Miss New Zealand.
According to reports, the Filipino bombshell won the mega beauty title, turning heads for obvious reasons. But what really caught many people’s attention is her family story.
Sources reported how Arielle Keil came from a very conservative family background. Therefore, when she revealed her trans status to loved ones, the response was wild. Her family immediately shunned her, disowning her completely. With nowhere to go, the stunner landed in New Zealand and that’s where she grew up.
In 2017, the beauty queen started her transition journey. While it wasn’t an easy affair, she was determined never to give up.
Speaking to Metro recently, Arielle opened about her daily struggles. ‘Coming out in the open as a gay man wasn’t as terrifying as coming out as a transgender woman,’ she exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Arielle went on to describe how her entire life changed with her transition. And that meant people’s attitude also changed towards her.
The beauty queen explains how she spent a good chunk of her life as the wrong gender and now, there was no turning back. For this reason, she felt it was necessary to transition as she didn’t want to waste her 20’s either.
Initially, the beauty queen’s family members disowned her completely, kicking her out of the house. However, with time, things got better. Today, her silver lining is her father. He accepts her for who she is and there is no greater victory than that.
‘I can see how proud he is of me. He has a look on his face that is indescribable,’ she explains.
Recently, the stunner made history by winning a major beauty pageant. She is not only the first Filipino to receive the title of Miss Intercontinental New Zealand but also the first trans. Needless to say, it’s a dream come true for more than one reason.