ORLANDO | The City of Orlando will recognize Parliament House entertainer Jazell Barbie Royale, who made history as the first black transgender woman to be crowned Miss International Queen in Thailand, with a ceremony at City Hall on April 11.
“We always see trans rights in such a hostile way,” says Darcel Stevens, Parliament House’s entertainment director. “There’s so much brutality in the community, so it is wonderful to see trans issues in such a positive light.”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Orlando Police Department Capt. Jim Young are scheduled to appear and speak during the event. Royale herself is also scheduled to speak at the event.
“Jazell is an outstanding community leader, who has worked to empower the transgender community with education and resources,” Dyer said in a statement. “The City of Orlando is proud to have Jazell working to raise the profile of transgender women all over the world in her role as Miss International Queen.”
The Miss International Queen Pageant is a worldwide beauty pageant for transgender women held every year in Pattaya City, Thailand. It is the largest transgender beauty pageant in the world and has been an annual event in Thailand since 2004.
Parliament House hosted its own welcome home party for Royale on March 30 celebrating her historic victory.
“I’m very proud,” Stevens says. “As a black gay man, I have seen the evolution with civil rights, gay rights and trans rights. I revel in the fact that this is an accumulation of a lot of people’s hard work. Jazell rests on their shoulders and I get to witness history. She broke barriers.”
