Miss Universe announced today that it will allow transgender women to participate in its beauty competitions around the world.

The organization made the announcement in a joint statement with GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

It comes after contestant Jenna Talackova was disqualified from the Miss Canada Pageant on March 23 for not been a "naturally born female."

“We want to give credit where credit is due, and the decision to include transgender women in our beauty competitions is a result of our ongoing discussions with GLAAD and not Jenna’s legal representation, which if anything delayed the process. We have a long history of supporting equality for all women, and this was something we took very seriously,” Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization said in the statement.

Miss Universe is owned by Donald J. Trump

Tags: Miss Universe