To the sound of blaring pop music, a photo shoot begins with a snap and click of the camera. Sofia Solomon poses with ease in a swimsuit, radiating confidence and aspiring to become the first transgender woman to participate in the Miss Venezuela pageant.
This event transcends mere beauty competition in a country that has seven Miss Universe pageant queens (1979, 1981, 1986, 1996, 2008, 2009, and 2013) and six Miss World queens (1955, 1981, 1984, 1991, 1995, and 2011). Despite a decade of economic crises that have affected millions of people, Miss Venezuela continues to paralyze the audience in front of the TV.
In an interview with AFP, Sofia, 25, shares that “just as in other countries soccer is very important, here it is very important to be a beauty queen (…). It’s a very nice feeling for me. Her candidacy has generated a stir on social networks and in the media months before the pageant, scheduled for December.
Sofia hopes that this “wave” of attention will bring visibility to transgender people in a very conservative society. After the photo shoot, excited, she says: “I was in a restaurant here in Caracas and someone said to me: ‘Hey, are you Sofía Salomón, the transgender girl who is going to participate in Miss Venezuela? That is already generating echo, and that is precisely what it is about: making visible what nobody talks about.”
She points out that “all eyes are on what happens at Miss Venezuela” and that her participation would be historic. Last year, she competed in Thailand in the Miss International Queen contest, which is considered the most important for trans women, and she was among the six finalists.
Sofia says she received numerous messages on social media from people who wanted her to participate in other pageants. Now that Miss Universe and Miss World accept transgender contestants, the possibility is open for her to participate in Miss Venezuela. Ángela Ponce broke barriers in 2018 by becoming the first trans woman to compete in Miss Universe, representing Spain.
Sofia Salomon goes into a trance when her image consultant, Jordys Charles, signals her with a clap that the photographer will start taking the pictures. Her face reflects concentration. In the meantime, time is ticking, and applications for Miss Venezuela will close on May 31. Each aspirant will be evaluated afterwards to select the participants.
Sofia shares her story of support and unconditional love from her father, mother, and her whole family since she can remember. She had an excellent childhood full of respect and love, which makes everything easier since she can show society who she really is.