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The Miss International Queen 2025 pageant ended with more drama than celebration.
The competition, held annually in Pattaya, Thailand, is the world’s biggest stage for transgender women. Since 2004, it has been known for showcasing talent, promoting inclusion and celebrating beauty. This year’s theme was “Beyond Beauty, Open Possibility.” But the final moments told a different story.
When Miss USA, Midori Monét, a tall Black trans woman, was crowned the new queen, the atmosphere turned cold. Instead of surrounding her in celebration, most contestants rushed to console Miss Cuba, Olivia Lauren, the first runner-up. Videos that went viral online showed Monét standing almost alone, only receiving a hug from Miss Malaysia.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pawee Ventura (@misspawee)
The awkward scene drew anger across social media. Many viewers described the behaviour of the contestants as disrespectful and racially charged.
One Instagram user, Princess Tiko, wrote: “Everyone of the contestants that participated in the intentional, planned snubbing of Miss USA should be banned. They not only disrespect Miss USA, but themselves and the whole Miss International Queen organisation. What a shame and embarrassment.”
Another viewer said: “Extremely poor sportsmanship! The first runner-up (Miss Cuba) and every single contestant that surrounded her – ‘Mean girls’. Not only did they disrespect the winner, but they also disrespected the judges who made the decision, and the pageant system as well. Way to destroy the reputation of Miss International Queen. It takes extremely hard work to build a reputation; this destroys it in minutes.”
A third comment added: “No matter your emotions, a loss is a loss! But it is also a redirection if you know your worth. Do not seek to embarrass the chosen winner out of misguided emotions. Congratulations, Miss USA. You won! Make an impact!”
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The spotlight also fell on Miss Cuba, Olivia Lauren, who openly voiced her disappointment. Asked about finishing second, she claimed she had faced bullying throughout the competition.
“Throughout this competition, to say the least, I’ve been bullied. I’ve been told I look like a man. I have been pushed. I have been thrown rocks at. And, well, it’s a bit of a shock to see what’s happened,” she said.
Lauren further accused Miss USA and Miss Vietnam of making her experience “very sour.”
She said, “The two that you see standing next to me have made it impossible for me to enjoy 100% of it. They have tortured me throughout the whole thing, as well as my other sisters, every single day.”
Lauren insisted she would continue to speak her truth.
When asked for her thoughts on the new winner, Lauren said the organisation had “a lot of work to do.” She added: “I’m so confused because this was ‘beyond beauty.’”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pawee Ventura (@misspawee)
While Lauren expressed anger, Monét kept her composure. In her interview, she chose to focus on positivity. “There is so much hate going around. There is so much envy, bitterness, jealousy, all the things that plague this world. I want you to know that it’s okay to believe in yourself. Karma is real. Love is real. It’s not about what you do, but about how your actions make people feel,” she said.
Her emotional acceptance speech struck a different tone from the chaos around her.
“I feel like I am living out my ancestors’ wildest dreams… loud and proud in my skin, happy to be who I am and representing my entire community. It feels so amazing and I’m so happy to do it alongside my sisters. This means the world to me. Love you. I love you.”
Instead of unity, this year’s Miss International Queen ended with division, accusations and viral outrage. What should have been a celebration of diversity and sisterhood exposed deep cracks within the competition.
The organisation now faces questions from the public about fairness, respect and the values it seeks to uphold under the banner of “Beyond Beauty, Open Possibility.” As of now, the Miss International Queen organisation has yet to respond to the controversy.
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