Beauty queen contestant who used to be a BOY receives death threats from internet trolls after entering Miss England competition

Jordan Davis is one of 15 finalists in the Miss Coventry competition

But student suffered abuse online and had to close Ask.fm account

She is only the second transgender person to run for Miss England



Competitor: College student Jordan Davis is one of 15 finalists in the Miss Coventry competition

A 17-year-old girl who lived as a boy until last year has received death threats from online trolls after bidding to become the first transgender Miss England beauty queen.

Jordan Davis, of Radford, West Midlands, is one of 15 finalists in the Miss Coventry competition after beating more than 300 other girls.

But the college student has revealed social network users have told her she ‘isn’t a real woman’- and that she has closed her Ask.fm account after people threatened to kill her.

She said: ‘I wanted to give a voice, provide advocacy and become a role model for the transgender community.

'I have threatened to drop out several times because of the abuse I have received on social networking sites.



'I had to close my Ask.fm account down because I was getting death threats. I was expecting it, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite as bad.

'I felt it was important to make a stand - to say you can define beauty in many ways. You don’t have to look or be a certain way to be beautiful.’

Jordan said she decided to make the transition to living life as a woman after she had finished school, adding: ‘I went to college as a girl and didn't tell anyone there or give them any knowledge. It was a clean slate for me.

'But as the month went on people in the year above who knew me from school started the whispering. I just kept smiling and carried on walking.

‘The way I look at it is that it is the same as when people are born with a birthmark and have it removed. It's no different for me. I didn't want to waste any more time after going through five years of hell at school.’

Despite the challenges, Jordan said the competition has provided her with a confidence boost and she is pleased to be involved.



‘The view that these shows are outdated and sexist are rubbish,' she said.



‘I have had great support from the organisers and the other girls. It helps confidence, self-image and self-worth and it has helped me to learn to love myself.

‘I may not have been born a girl, but I am no less female than the rest of the girls. The competition has been a lot nicer than I thought it would be.

Online abuse: The college student has revealed social network users have told her she 'isn’t a real woman'

‘I thought it might be a bitch-fest and not very nice, but it has been the opposite and I have become close friends with a few of the girls.’

Jordan reserved special praise for competition organiser Diane Slater, saying: ‘She has been like a second mother to me.

‘No matter what I have been through, she has always just been there for me. Whatever I have needed she has helped me with. She has been unbelievably supportive.’

Jordan, who is now saving up for a sex change operation, said she would encourage others in a similar position to follow in her footsteps, adding: ‘Don't be afraid and don't waste your life.



‘Don't waste a day, because a day turns into months, months into years and you will regret it. Be yourself, if people can't accept you for who you are, that's their problem. You need to hold your head high.’

'I have threatened to drop out several times because of the abuse I have received on social networking sites. I had to close my Ask.fm account down because I was getting death threats. I was expecting it, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite as bad' Jordan Davis

Organiser Ms Slater said Jordan's entry underlined the diversity in the competition - and she vowed to help the teenager tackle any abuse she received.

She said: ‘I think when you look at our finalists it shows the diversity in the city. Jordan is a girl and the competition should be open to all. Even I have had some terrible text messages for accepting her but I think it is important to support her through her journey.

‘If the abuse causes a problem we will pass on the details to the relevant authorities, but for now we just won't let it take up too much of our time. I think dealing with this situation must be very difficult anyway, but to do it in public is incredibly brave.’

Jordan says on her Facebook profile that she works at Topshop and is currently studying for a qualification at college in travel and tourism.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said no complaints had been raised by Jordan over the abuse.



The Miss Coventry final will be held on March 22 at the Bedworth Liberal Club in the city. Last year's winner was Jodie Duckworth, a 19-year-old dance student from Nuneaton, Warwickshire.