This year's pageant will be sponsored by Bud Lite and hosted by Dylan Mulvaney.
After Mrs Kennedy wins, I hope she doesn't bail like those other losers:
PS. Is there a talent competition?
Marine’s wife Bailey Anne Kennedy crowned first transgender Miss Maryland USA
By Olivia Land, NY Post
Published June 7, 2024
The wife of a Marine has been crowned the first-ever transgender Miss Maryland USA — and said she was inspired by the “sisterhood” of other competitors she saw on the pageant circuit.
Bailey Anne Kennedy, 31, won the coveted title on Saturday, according to the official Miss Maryland USA Instagram account.
She is now prepared to compete at Miss USA, which will be held in Los Angeles on Aug. 4.
The victory, Kennedy told WDCW, was a “whirlwind because I knew it was bigger than me.”
“I knew that it was going to mean a lot for all the LGBTQ kids out there who might feel like they don’t belong in a box — like me growing up,” she explained.
Kennedy said she did not have any anxiety about being the only trans competitor, and said she felt bolstered by the “sisterhood” of women on stage.
“I felt confident in my own skin at 31, which is past the old age limit, which is 28 — as you know Miss Universe Organization lift the restriction now — so every woman of all ages can compete,” she pointed out.
Kennedy added that she “hopes her milestone will open up some doors, open up some hearts for people to see that there are many aspects of LGBT community out there and I hope I can be a positive contribution to society in making a difference like the USO program I’m working with.”
Kennedy was inspired to compete in pageants following her marriage in 2019, according to her website.
“When I turned 30, The Miss Universe Organization lifted the traditional marital status and age restrictions. I knew it was a sign from the Universe that they are ready to crown an older, military spouse like myself,” the write-up explained.
“Although this is such a small effort, I could only imagine the magnitude of my action on a state level, national level or even on the international level if I win the title to represent USA, the beautiful country to which I owe so much,” she added.
In addition to being the first transgender Miss Maryland USA, Kennedy is also the first Asian American winner and the first military spouse to hold the title, according to The Advocate.
The first trans contestant to appear at Miss USA was Kataluna Enriquez, who competed as Miss Nevada USA in 2018, the outlet noted.
“It hasn’t hit me yet. We just made history, and I don’t know how that feels. It was part of my goal, part of my dream,” Enriquez told the Las Vegas Sun in the wake of her history-making win in the state.