
The U.S. Supreme Court’s reinstatement of restrictions on gender-inclusive passports has reignited a quiet crisis of belonging. It is not simply about travel. It is about who decides the architecture of identity—and whether selfhood must pass through permission.

A walk-out at the Miss Universe 2025 orientation in Thailand reveals that modern pageantry is no longer about beauty—it’s about human dignity, agency, and the design of respect. This moment offers a blueprint for how global culture must recalibrate its structures of representation. “I’m here representing a country and it’s not my fault that you have problems with my organisation.”— Fátima Bosch, Miss Universe Mexico