Background
Talackova was born on October 15, 1988, and was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her father is Czechoslovakian, and her mother is Babine native Canadian, from the Lake Babine Nation in British Columbia.
Talackova was born on October 15, 1988, and was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her father is Czechoslovakian, and her mother is Babine native Canadian, from the Lake Babine Nation in British Columbia.
Her surname pronounced as "tah-lah-tskaw-va:". She experienced gender dysphoria beginning in early childhood, and began her gender transition at age 14, while attending Vancouver"s Killarney Secondary School, before completing her sex reassignment surgery at 19. She initially took the name Paige when she began transitioning, before changing it again to Jenna.
Talackova is currently a student of holistic nutrition.
After previously competing in the 2010 Mission International Queen pageant for transgender and transsexual women in Thailand, Talackova registered to compete in 2012. Sources are in conflict as to whether she identified herself as transgender on her application.
However, after she was selected as one of the Top 65 applicants who would proceed to the pageant, a person who recognized her from Mission International Queen contacted the organizers, and the organization then disqualified Talackova because she was born male on the grounds that the pageant rules required its competitors to be "naturally born" women. Talackova subsequently contacted lawyer Gloria Allred, who took on the case and challenged the pageant organizers, including Donald Trump in his capacity as owner of the international Mission Universe organization, to reverse the decision and allow Talackova to compete.
The organization reversed its decision before the case reached the courts, with Trump"s office issuing a statement that "s long as she meets the standards of legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, which we understand that she does, Jenna Talackova is free to compete in the 2012 pageant."
She was, however, one of four contestants awarded the title of Mission Congeniality.
Talackova was named co-grand marshal of the 2012 Vancouver Pride Parade in recognition of her fight to be in the Mission Universe pageant. Talackova is a vegan and appeared in a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ad campaign promoting the diet.