She was torn when two of her three sons decided they wanted to become women.
It was a double whammy Madam Monica soon grew to accept.
Her sons, dressed as girls, took part in transvestite beauty pageants and made waves.
They then went for sex change operations.
On Friday night, more than a decade after they first told their mother about their sexual inclinations, one of them emerged a beauty queen again – at the age of 38.
Ms Angel Aurora Jalleh-Hosey beat 12 other finalists to be declared Miss Exotica 2012, a competition for transgenders in Singapore and around the region at Talent Cafe in Tanjong Pagar.
The title is apt. Ms Angel was formerly a Mister and so was her sister, Ms Jessie Jalleh-Hosey, 37.
The sisters dropped their original surname of Hutchison for Jalleh-Hosey, an amalgamation of their parents’ last names.
Ms Angel’s latest win was her second attempt at a beauty title this year.
Her sister, who was in the audience dressed in a tight black lace dress, is also a former beauty queen.
In 2004, The New Paper reported that Ms Jessie won the Miss Tiffany Singapore 2004 title, while her elder sister took the second runner-up position the same year.
They were still officially men then.
Both brothers-turned-sisters hung up their pageant heels for eight years before Ms Angel decided to get back into the game in June.
Click on the thumbnails for more photos of the pageant, or read the full story here.
Totally agree, if it is in born as it is not their choice. Till then, I will respect the individuals but not their lifestyles.
If it is inborn, we cannot blame them. It's not their fault they were born that way. We have to accept them as they are. Just that.
@ Mademoiselle
Yes, I agree that it's unacceptable. That's on the basis of moral grounds. But the thing is our country do not have specific laws that forbid people from undergoing sex change. So I think that's why transgendered people are still in our midst today :o :p, whether we like it or not.
IMHO transgender-ed individuals do deserve a little empathy though. Undoubtedly, they will have to endure with lots of stigma towards them from the society. Employment opportunities in particular are very limited for them due to subtle discrimination by employers.
I will always respect the individual and his choice but not the idealogy or lifestyle. Until it is conclusively proven that it is in born of course.
Till then the lies being spread about accepting homosexuality and transsexuality is just that, unwarranted claims.
Tolerance yes. Don't force any of us to accept the idealogy or lifestyle though.
Certainly not you or science. Science don't answer the why of our existence that is dependent on the many faiths out there.
That is a flawed logic. There are incests and bestials around too but it doesn't mean we must accept them.