The echoes of outrage reverberated on September 30, 2023, as the SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center bore witness to the crowning of the inaugural NTD Global Chinese Beauty Pageant’s victor, Cynthia Sun, representing Texas. While 11 other gifted contestants claimed additional titles, it was the pageant’s exclusionary eligibility criteria that cast a disheartening shadow over the event.

Sponsored by NTD (New Tang Dynasty), a New York-based television station inextricably linked to the Falun Gong, and in collaboration with The Epoch Times, an influential far-right media outlet with similar Falun Gong affiliations, the pageant left no room for ambiguity: only those recognized as “natural-born females” by the stringent medical and legal standards of the United States could vie for the coveted title.

However, far from a mere beauty contest, this discriminatory stipulation has fanned the flames of fury within New York’s transgender community—a community already grappling with the perilous reality of their daily lives. In response, an impassioned protest erupted on October 2nd outside NTD’s New York offices, mobilizing trans activists, advocates, and allies, all united in their unequivocal condemnation of the Falun Gong, NTD, and The Epoch Times for their divisive and potentially life-endangering rhetoric.

“This pageant is nothing short of an affront to the transgender community,” one protester seethed. “It sends a chilling message that transgender women are somehow less than real women, unwelcome in our society.”

Another protester who identified herself as Raina spoke directly into the camera, saying: “Spewing hatred towards a group of people that’s just trying to live their lives is unacceptable. This is about human rights!”

Such fury is far from unwarranted. The United States has proven to be a perilous place for transgender individuals, who face alarming rates of violence and discrimination. According to a report by the Human Rights Campaign, 46 transgender or gender non-conforming individuals fell victim to fatal violence in the country in 2022, marking a disheartening record high. This violence disproportionately targets Black and Latina transgender women.

The Falun Gong, The Epoch Times, and NTD (New Tang Dynasty) have been at the forefront of anti-trans activism, churning out articles and videos that perpetuate hate speech and disseminate alarming misinformation about transgender lives. Furthermore, they have vigorously opposed crucial trans rights legislation.

“This pageant is nothing short of an affront to the transgender community,” Rashad, one of the protesters, remarked. “We are all equal. We all deserve to be treated with respect. You have rights. We are the freest country in the world. Nobody wants to be treated ‘less than’ for living a certain way. They want to live their life. And so if it’s not bothering you, it was not affecting you. Why does it matter?”

Christopher, another protester, expressed his beliefs, saying: “Being raised a Christian in a Catholic household, I believe in love thy neighbor. Everyone is made under God’s eyes. They’re his children. And we have to accept he makes everyone different for a reason, because we have to accept the differences in us more than the sameness. And I truly believe that, you know who you want to be to go through life and be happy. And if it’s not the gender you were assigned at birth, if you don’t feel that it’s right for you, then you have that right to change. And it shouldn’t offend anyone. We should just be at peace with everyone and everything will be good for you in the future!”

Serena, a transgender individual and protester, passionately stated: “NTD needs to stop the hate! Because trans rights are human rights!”

Kataluna Patricia Enriquez, the first openly transgender woman to earn titles and compete in the Miss USA pageant, criticized NTD, saying: “I think NTD has quite a limited idea and degrading idea of what traditional values ARE, and to what modern women are and what they have fought for. It’s harmful for the younger generation and many women.”

Tony Babcock, a gay actor and activist, emphasized the importance of calling out anti-transgender actions, saying: “Groups like NTD Television need to be called out for anti-transgender actions. This is hurting the transgender community, and society as a whole. Equality in America means EVERYONE, we don’t get to pick and choose.”

When asked about her concerns regarding the Transgender community, Yana Calou, Director of Advocacy at Trans Lifeline, commented on the impact of political attacks on transgender individuals, stating: “Political attacks impact trans & nonbinary folks’ sense of wellbeing in the world, and contribute to very normal feelings of fear and anxiety for our present and futures. We’ve watched our call volume go up during other periods of bad news, so we remain steadfastly committed to offering peer support during these challenging times.”

This latest episode represents not just a beauty pageant’s ill-conceived rules but also a chilling microcosm of the broader anti-trans sentiment sweeping across the United States.

In recent years, state legislatures have seen an alarming surge in anti-trans legislation, posing dire threats to transgender individuals’ safety, healthcare, and civil rights.

The transgender community is not just raising their voices; they are sounding a desperate alarm. They implore every individual of conscience to unite in defiance of anti-trans hate, to decry this harmful rhetoric, and to ardently champion trans rights legislation—because the cost of inaction is measured in the lives and well-being of those who deserve nothing less than equal respect and protection.