A Christian-Arab ballet dancer
originally from Nazareth on Friday was crowned Miss Trans Israel.
Talin Abu-Hana (also spelled Ta'alin
Abu Hanna and Tallinn Abu Hana in various press reports) beat out 12
contestants competing to win the nation's first beauty pageant,
including Carolin Khoury, an Israeli-Arab from Tel Aviv, and Eileen
Ben-Zaken, who was born in Jerusalem to a Jewish-Orthodox family.
“It is history,” Abu-Hana
told the audience after being crowned. “Today's date is
history for the state of Israel. And I will take it to the highest
place possible. To another step forward in the transgender
community's path, so we will be accepted and be seen as humans.”
Hanna will represent Israel at the Miss
Trans Star International pageant in Barcelona, Spain in September.
This week's pageant marks the start of
Tel Aviv Pride. More than 180,000 people are expected to flock to
the largest Pride Parade in the Middle East. The theme for this
year's Tel Aviv Pride events is “Women for a Change.”