BEIJING (AFP) - A Chinese transsexual has been barred from competing in the 2004 Miss Universe (news - web sites) competition because she was born a man, organisers said.
Chen Lili, a 24-year-old fashion model from China's southwestern Sichuan province, would have been the first transgender woman to vie for the title.
"The sex of the candidates should be female at birth and cannot be artificially changed," Miss Universe selection committee chairman Zhang Ruiling told AFP.
"The Miss Universe pageant does not reject transgenders but it would be unfair to the other candidates if we allowed a transexual woman to paticipate," said Zhang, speaking on behalf of the Miss Universe-China organisation.
Chen, whose previous name was Yongjun or "Brave Soldier," had previously been granted permission to take part in a series of beauty contests to become China's Miss Universe.
Chen underwent transsexual surgery in November and made headlines in local papers last month when she won official approval to change her sex on identity papers.
Transsexuals have ceased to be taboo in urban China in recent years, and a total of 500 Chinese men have so far had their sex changed surgically, according to previous reports in China's state media.
Although Chen will no longer compete for beauty queen accolades she will be allowed to perform during the staging of Miss Sichuan in April.
"Because of her honesty and courage in telling us the truth we will give her another chance during the (Miss Sichuan) selection to perform in front of the audience," Zhang said.
