A U.K. beauty pageant is facing backlash after requiring that entrants "must be naturally born genetic females." Galaxy Pageants U.K. published the controversial stipulation on its entry requirements for 2018.

The company, founded in 2008, runs some of Britain's largest pageants, including Miss Teen Galaxy UK and Miss Galaxy England, the winner of whom goes on to compete in the international Miss Galaxy competition.

Advocates say the company's policy violates the U.K.'s equality laws, including the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, which protects trans people who have legally transitioned from being forced to reveal the sex they were assigned at birth.

Following criticism and a handful of one-star reviews on Facebook, the company altered its wording to now state that entrants' "legal gender must be female."

"Our terms and conditions for the U.K. Galaxy Pageant state that the legal gender of the contestant must be female and so, we have no further comment with regards to this matter," Galaxy Pageants U.K. director Holly Pirrie told Pink News.