Sex change disqualifies Canadian woman from competing in her nation’s beauty queen pageant

(Miss International Queen via YouTube, via The Canadian Press/Associated Press) - In this image provided by Miss International Queen via YouTube, Jenna Talackova, of Vancouver, British Columbia, speaks during a video interview at the 2010 Miss International Queen Competition in Thailand. The transgendered blond that was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada pageant is urging her supporters to sign an online petition calling for her reinstatement.

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By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, March 30, 3:32 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Beach shots depict her as every inch a curvaceous beauty queen.

But 23-year-old Jenna Talackova was born male, and that led the Miss Universe Canada organizers to disqualify her last week as a finalist in the 61st Miss Universe Canada pageant taking place in May.

British Conservatives lead charge for gay marriage

Lefteris Pitarakis/AP - Recently, David Cameron’s Conservative-led coalition government has launched an effort to grant gays and lesbians the option of entering civil marriages.

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By Anthony Faiola, Friday, March 30, 10:03 AM

LONDON — Americans watching the latest push for social change in Britain might feel as if they had stepped into an alternative political universe: Here, the Conservatives are leading the charge for same-sex marriage.