Miss Nevada 2021 is a transgender named Kataluna and will enter the Miss USA contest in November
Kataluna Enriquez made history Sunday when she became the first openly transgender woman to be crowned Miss Nevada USA. Additionally, she is the first openly transgender Miss USA contestant.
On Sunday, Kataluna Enriquez beat 21 other contenders to represent Nevada in the Miss USA pageant held on November 29.
The 27-year-old Enriquez took to Instagram the next day to celebrate. “A big thank you to everyone who has supported me from day one,” she wrote. “Huge thank you to everyone who supported me from day one,” she wrote alongside a photo from the big event. “My community, you are always in my heart. My win is our win. We just made history. Happy pride.”
Enriquez, wearing a self-designed rainbow sequin dress, receives her crown towards the end of the month of Pride and competes for the Miss USA pageant in November.
“Growing up, I was often told that I had no right to be myself or to be in spaces where I was not welcome,” she said. “Today, I am a proud transgender woman of color. Personally, I have learned that my differences don’t make me less, they make me more.
And her Pride Month victory isn’t the only time she’ll make history this year.
Enriquez was the first transgender woman to participate in Miss Nevada and Miss USA contests and the first to win the Miss Nevada event. If she wins Miss USA as well (another first), she will be just the second transgender competitor in the Miss Universe competition