Photos: Meet the new Miss New Zealand, 26 y.o Filipino transgender woman, Arielle Keil

A transgender Filipino woman has made history after being the first to achieve the highly coveted title of Miss Intercontinental New Zealand 2020.

Arielle Keil, 26, who was born in Davao City, Philippines as a boy named Andrew, but grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, underwent gender reassignment surgery earlier this year. 

The glamorous trailblazer, who is the first post-operative transgender contestant to compete in the Miss New Zealand beauty pageant, describes the concept as not being outdated but 'actually bada**'. 

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Arielle said: 'The pageant was an amazing experience! It's something I've wanted to do for the longest time so to actually live out my dream has been amazing!' The 26-year-old, who began transitioning in 2017, was initially kicked out by her family, who struggled to support her decision.