I was scared to come out as trans – then I entered a beauty pageant

‘I can now tell you that you are our first ever Miss Trans Global Uganda finalist – congratulations!’
As soon as I heard this news in 2022 via Zoom, I screamed with delight.

I had made it to the top seven of the global pageant and I couldn’t be more proud.

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!’ I shouted with joy and thanks.

As a child, I loved everything about beauty and fashion, but I could never fully express this because I’m a transgender woman from Uganda.

Although being trans is not explicitly banned in the country, people like me are essentially in legal limbo and discrimination is widespread.

As a result, I felt like my dreams to explore creative arts were suffocated and I was forced to assimilate.

I went to a Catholic school, which had a strict dress code.

On top of that, I suffered through non-inclusive sex education, anti-LGBTQ+ religious sermons in church, and a derogatory media landscape.

I decided I needed to prioritise a roof over my head before anything else.

That meant that I sacrificed expressing or exploring my gender identity publicly.

What is Trans Day of Visibility

International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV) is celebrated annually on March 31 to celebrate the joy, resilience, and existence of transgender and non-binary people worldwide.

The day was founded by Michigan-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall in 2009 as a reaction to the lack of LGBTQ+ days celebrating trans people, noting that most focus was on tragedy rather than life and joy.

In 2021, U.S.

President Joe Biden became the first American president to issue a formal proclamation recognising the day.

Now, more than ever, transgender people need this visibility.

In order to find a sense of LGBTQ+ community, I created a fake profile on social media and joined an anonymous private group of similar people who were brave enough to express themselves online.

Gradually, we started meeting each other secretly, despite living in the closet.

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I couldn’t really cross-dress in public with my new friends because I was scared of being outed, but I also didn’t fit into the straight world either.

So I felt stuck and unsafe, which impacted my emotional wellbeing.

I devoted my time and energy into graduating.

Two months later, I was delighted to find out that my application was successful, so I moved to the UK in 2021 to study a masters at the University of Bath.

A year of change: Why Trans Day of Visibility matters

16th April 2025
The UK Supreme Court rules that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, claiming that the ‘concept of sex is binary’.

1st June 2025
The FA brings in a ban on trans women in women’s football.

2nd December 2025
Trans girls banned from joining Girlguiding – trans girls have since been told they must leave the organisation by September 2026.

3rd December 2025
The Women’s Institute will no longer accept trans women as members from April, due to the Supreme Court ruling.

9th March 2026
NHS England pauses new referrals for masculinising or feminising hormone treatment in under-18s.

26th March
The Olympics announce a transgender ban in all women’s sport.

Life after I came to the UK was liberating.

Compared to Uganda, British cities embrace diversity from all walks of life.

I watched TV shows that included trans people like Pose on BBC iPlayer.

I also revamped my skincare routine and changed my wardrobe from a masculine to feminine aesthetic.

I had the gender marker on legal documents changed and explored the nightlife of LGBTQ+ bars across the UK with a community of people just like me.

Then in June 2022, I attended my first Pride parade in London and I was completely blown away by everyone proudly celebrating their identities.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the support from the state in having police protection, endorsement from the mayor, and various companies marching in comradeship.

It was around this time that I stumbled across a Facebook post about a pageant called Miss Trans Global and was immediately interested in applying.

Now that I was in the UK, I finally felt safe enough to be visible and express my true self.

I had to send an audition tape talking about myself and why I wanted to compete in the pageant.

‘I want to challenge stereotypes about femininity,’ I said in the video, ‘and I want to represent my country, Uganda.’
I also had an interview with a panel of judges.

In the lead up to the event, I made sure to learn how to walk confidently, practice public speaking, apply makeup, and show polished etiquette.

The pageant was intense from the very start – even though it all took place online due to Covid-19 restrictions.

For the evening ball gown category, I walked in an elegant rose pink lace long prom dress as the crowds cheered via live streaming platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Throughout it all, I was nervous but also excited, since I was the first to represent Uganda.

In the end, I won ‘Third Princess Global’ and ‘Inspirational Queen of the Year’, which I was thrilled with.

The whole event was so special to me because it was an opportunity to celebrate our unique traits of beauty and gender expression in a world that forces us to live in fear or shame about our bodies.

Trans is Human

Amanda was part of Hannah and Jake Graf’s ‘Trans is Human’ campaign, which launched around Trans Day of Visibility (March 31) this year.

For more information, visit their Instagram page here.

The campaign is supported by Pride Wide, a charity featuring exclusive, investigative, fact-checked LGBTQ+ storytelling.

Personally, participating in a beauty pageant helped me find my feminine charm and confidence – something I’ve taken with me ever since.

This newfound confidence helped me be proactive at university and I got elected as the campaign officer for the LGBTQ+ students club in 2022.

I also started my medical transition that year, which is exciting, although comes with its own challenges.

Later, a few gradually became more accepting and looked to reconcile.

But most people I knew still remain negative about my identity.

As a result, it’s no longer safe for me to return to Uganda.

So I had to apply for asylum and was granted the right to remain in the UK in 2023.

Besides that, life for me has been joyful as I have grown more in my career – working in the charity sector where I have co-founded a charity organisation called Minority Inclusion Foundation (which supports LGBTQ+ refugees) and even modelled in magazines, too.

I am also an ambassador for Refugee Week UK 2025, which is the largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees worldwide.

From competing as Miss Trans Global Uganda, I learnt to conquer my fears about myself.

The pageant changed my life by pushing me out of my comfort zone to a place of growth.

It helped me change my geographical location, physical appearance, career and community, but most importantly the relationship I had with myself.

This article was originally published April 6, 2025.