Find Out How Naaz Joshi Became India’s First Transgender Showstopper

The person who faced discrimination at every step of her life and career, Naaz Joshi made a huge impact in society and amongst the LGBTQ+ community. Being born as a biological boy in an upper-class family, Joshi fought against the odds and became the country’s first transgender beauty queen by winning the Empress Earth 2021-22 title. Let’s explore the journey of Naaz Joshi from breaking all stereotypes to becoming the beautiful trans showstopper!

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Becoming International Beauty Queen

Naaz Joshi, the winner of eight beauty crowns, fought the societal norms to be where she is today. Initially, the contest for the Empress Earth title was scheduled to be held in Dubai on June 1, 2021, but was canceled due to the pandemic. With the help of suggestions from different contestants, the competition was held virtually. The countries that were the top-performing nations included Columbia, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, and India.

The final question to the finalists was, “Do you feel lockdown is the solution to the pandemic?”; Naaz Joshi answered, “No, just lockdown can decrease the number of patients. Every human being also must take care of the safety measures as recommended by WHO, and we queens should motivate others to stay calm and positive.” 

She has held sessions at different universities like Lovely Professional University in Punjab and Vellore Institute of Technology and especially focused on sensitizing people about the LGBTQ+ people.

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Naaz Joshi Biography

Naaz Joshi was born as a boy named Aizya in Delhi in an upper-middle-class family. During her school days, she identified herself as a girl, and she faced discrimination at large because of her choices. The male teachers in her school used to teach her how to walk like a boy.

Not just that, Naaz Joshi went through abuse at her maternal uncle’s house, where she was sheltered by a trans woman.  After being sheltered by a trans woman, she embraced her life and would dance dressed as a girl in the evening, and would attend school in the morning as a boy. 

In 2009, she got into the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi. She worked with famous designers like Ritu Kumar and Ritu Beri after her college years. However, Naaz Joshi struggled to get a steady income and get a job. 

At this time, she earns ₹5,000 as the showstopper model. Society is still questioning the need for a trans model, which certainly makes it difficult for people in the LGBTQ+ community.

Naaz Joshi’s Net Worth

Naaz Joshi has a net worth of $5.00 million (estimated) as a result of her modeling career. The Model of India is a popular term. She is considered one of the most successful models in history. Being a successful Indian model is Naaz Joshi’s main source of income. Naaz began her modeling career after finishing her official schooling in her early years.

Naaz Joshi Personal Life

To pay for her sex reassignment operation, Joshi worked as a sex worker. In 2018, she claimed she was the victim of gender discrimination after a hotel in Gurgaon refused her reservation. Although a junior hotel employee told the Hindustan Times that the booking was canceled for “gender-based reasons,” the general manager later denied this, saying that “allegations of discrimination of any kind were false” and that the hotel had not yet confirmed Joshi’s booking because it was still awaiting approval from the regional sales office..Naaz is the happy mother of two children who she adopted after their biological family abandoned them. In an interview with the New Indian Express, she said that her younger daughter was the offspring of a 16-year-old girl whose mother put her kid in the trash.

Naaz Joshi Awards

Let’s have a look at the awards received by Naaz Joshi.

What an inspiring story! This encourages us to work on who we want to be, and embrace every part of us as our own. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments down below. For more content like this, stay connected to Leverage Edu and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.