Meet the Israeli Catholic that won the first Miss Trans Israel pageant
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Special: Tel Aviv Gay Pride 2016

  •   Meet the Israeli Catholic that won the first Miss Trans Israel pageant
  • 6/29/2016
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    ​“I’m proud to be an Israeli Arab,” says Ta’alin Abu Hanna, 21, a Catholic Arab from Nazareth right after being crowned the 1st Miss Trans Israel. She emphasises that living in Israel and not in any of the neighbouring countries gave her the freedom to live her life and be the person she wants to be.
    Winner Abu Hanna will represent Israel at the Miss Trans Star International pageant in Spain in September.
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    Winner Ta’alin Abu Hanna, 21 Winner Ta’alin Abu Hanna, 21 Copyright: Yariv Fein
     
     
    ​‘I’m proud to be an Israeli Arab,’ says Ta’alin Abu Hanna, 21, a Catholic Arab and ballet dancer from Nazareth right after being crowned the first Miss Trans Israel. She emphasises that living in Israel and not in any of the neighbouring countries gave her the freedom to live her life and be the person she wants to be – without being harassed or even worse. Tel Aviv stands in sharp contrast to many parts of the Middle East, where gay people are often persecuted.
     
    The beauty pageant that took place in the framework of Tel Aviv Gay Pride week starred 11 other finalists. They came from a wide range of different backgrounds including a Russian, Muslims, a woman that grew up in ultra-orthodox family and from different geographic areas of the country such as Be’er Sheva, Haifa, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The organisers were excited to see such a diverse group reflecting Israel’s geographic, ethnic and religious diversity: The contestants “constitute a true Israeli mosaic. With different backgrounds, communities and faiths, they are an example of courage and tolerance, highlighting the theme of this year's Tel Aviv Pride events: ‘Women for a Change’.” The message of diversity was also reflected in the judges’ criteria: Already the pre-selection process was not based on mere external beauty but on the contestants’ views on co-existence and diversity.
     
    Like many of Israel’s 1.6 million Arab citizens beauty queen Abu Hanna calls herself Palestinian. But she still prefers living in Israel: “I wouldn’t be alive if I grew up in Palestine. Not as a gay man, and definitely not as a transgender woman,” she says in perfect Hebrew.
     
    “I got really lucky to live in a country where they bring everything to you on a silver platter” she states talking about the rights she has been given as a transgender woman in Israel: people refer to her with female pronouns, her Israeli ID card says that she is female and she can enter retirement at a younger age as it is usual for Israeli women. "Our country allowed me, a Christian Arab from Nazareth, to end the war between my soul and my body."
     

    But not everything is perfect and easy in life for the finalists. Many struggled with disapproval, threats and even physical abuse from their families. Muslim Arab Caroline Khouri tells reporters how her male relatives tried to murder her. Rescued by the police and with the perpetrators being in prison she still has no contact with her family. Another contestant, Aylin Ben Zaken, who was raised in an ultra-orthodox family, ran away from her home in Jerusalem to Tel Aviv at the tender age of 15. After a long silence, however, she is now even visiting her family’s Shabbat dinners – keeping the religious modest dress code for women.
     
    Israel is considered one of the most gay friendly countries – and travel destinations. In recent years, Tel Aviv was named the world’s top gay city by GayCities.com, and was recently referred to as “the gayest city on earth” by the Boston Globe. Every year it attracts countless visitors from all over the world. An estimated 200,000 people attended this year’s Pride Parade in Tel Aviv, which is considered one of the biggest pride parades worldwide and certainly the biggest one in the Middle East where being gay is usually not considered a reason to celebrate.
     
    Winner Ta’alin Abu Hanna received plastic surgery treatments worth over 12,000 euros and will represent Israel at the Miss Trans Star International pageant in Spain in late summer — the first time an Israeli will participate.
     
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