This year’s Miss USA pageant, owned by the Miss Universe Organization, is making history with several firsts among its state winners. Two contestants in particular are breaking new ground.
Image source: NAVBHARATTIMES
Transgender Trailblazer Wins Miss Maryland
Bailey Anne Kennedy has become the first openly transgender woman to win a Miss USA state title. The 31-year-old military wife competed as Miss Williamsport in the Miss Maryland pageant.
Kennedy’s victory comes after the Miss Universe Organization updated its rules in 2023 to allow contestants who identify as female, regardless of gender assigned at birth. This paves the way for more transgender representation in the iconic pageant.
Plus-Size Queen Crowned Miss Alabama
On the opposite end of the size spectrum is Sarah Milliken, Miss Alabama’s first plus-size winner. Milliken’s curves mean she requires multiple airplane seats and seatbelt extenders.
The supersized beauty queen has faced online bullying about her body, highlighting ongoing size discrimination. But Milliken remains unbowed, representing body positivity on the Miss USA stage.
An Increasingly Inclusive Pageant
The Miss Universe Organization has taken major strides towards inclusivity in recent years, beyond just transgender and plus-size contestants:
Married women and mothers are now eligible to compete
In 2018, Miss Spain’s Ángela Ponce was the first transgender Miss Universe contestant
The pageant’s new owner as of 2022 is a transgender entrepreneur from Thailand
As Miss USA 2024 approaches in August, all eyes are on envelope-pushing winners like Kennedy and Milliken. It also marks their participation as a sign of a more liberalized age for the legendary event.
Conclusion
Although Bailey Anne Kennedy and Sarah Milliken are setting precedents by being winners, they do not want people to see them as only icons for the trans and plus-size struggle. The women desire to portray elegance, intellect, and determination at the Miss USA 2024 event. With the pageant growing to embrace different types of beauty and identities, Kennedy and Milliken are ready to break even more barriers on the national level. It is a new era of inclusion that may change the perception of the audience towards beauty pageants.
FAQs
Q1: Why is Sarah Milliken’s body size considered “plus-size” for a pageant?
A: Beauty pageants especially those in the past have always rewarded thin, standard size bodies. Milliken contradicts this by being rounder and needing adjustments such as several airplane seats. Her victory symbolizes gradual expansion of body diversity.
Q2: Have transgender or plus-size women competed in Miss USA/Universe before?
A: This was the first openly transgender Miss USA state winner but Angela Ponce from Spain competed in Miss Universe 2018 also. However, Milliken seems to be one of the first plus-size contestants who can be considered visibly plus-size.
Q3: What other steps has the Miss Universe Organization taken towards inclusivity?
A: They have started allowing married women and mothers to compete. Since 2022, it is also owned by the Thai transgender businesswoman.
Q4: Why is this considered a progressive or controversial move?
A: Beauty ideals have been especially limited in the past, particularly when it comes to pageants. Having winners that are transgenders and plus-size is so progressive because it embraces different kinds of body shapes, gender identities, and beautiful.
Amit Gupta is a 2015 graduate of RTU in Rajasthan, India. After working over a decade as an additional writer at News article, he decided to start his own news publication. He mainly focuses on entertainment, Movies, Web series articles and editorials. He likes to listen to music and play cricket in his free time. Follow On Facebook.
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