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30th Jun 2021

Miss USA gets first openly transgender contestant

Kieran Galpin

Trans woman makes history!

History was made this week, not only on the football pitch but also in the realm of beauty pageants. In Las Vegas, trans woman Kataluna Enriquez was crowned Miss Nevada at the South Point Hotel and Casino!

Enriquez only began competing in cisgender pageants last year but has already snatched herself a state title. She beat twenty-one other contestants.

Serving Glamour incarnate:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQtsPafjPyt/

“It’s a huge honour to win, especially during Pride Month. I wasn’t nervous. I knew that I had worked really hard and I had my one shot at making history,” Enriquez told the Las Vegas Journal Review.

Though Enriquez’s beauty is undeniable, her thoughts and words are far more powerful. She spoke to the New York Post about her victory and how rare an occasion it is.

“One thing that is important for me is inclusivity, diversity and representation. It’s something I did not have growing up and is still lacking in today’s world.

Gorgeous, smart, informed, oh and an acrobat!

https://www.instagram.com/p/COWVhHLsxF3/

“Today I am a proud transgender woman of colour. Personally, I’ve learned that my differences do not make me less than, it makes me more than,”she said.

Enriquez has proven she is more than a pretty face, designing multiple gowns that she competed in.

“Pageantry is so expensive and I wanted to compete and be able to grow and develop skills and create gowns for myself and other people.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COG5DaDs2Na/

“With pageantry, people think it is only about beauty. But it’s how you present yourself, what you advocate for, what you’ve done and the goals you have.”

In November, Enriquez will compete for Miss USA. This is the biggest pageant in the country, so wishing her all the luck.