Ángela Ponce, 26, beat off competition from 22 other finalists to triumph at the contest in Tarragona, six years after Miss Universe was opened to trans contestants. Ponce will now go on to represent Spain at this year’s worldwide Miss Universe event in Philippines. After taking the crown on June 29 – right at the end of Pride Month – the groundbreaking beauty queen said: “I am very happy with what all this means. “I want to give a lesson to the world of tolerance and respect towards oneself and towards others,” she added.