The Miss Maryland USA beauty pageant has crowned its first-ever transgender winner, with contestant Bailee Ann Kennedy taking home the top prize this week.
Bailee Ann Kennedy, who is biologically male but identifies as female, will compete in the Miss USA pageant in Los Angeles on August 4.
Kennedy is not only the first transgender winner of the Miss Maryland title, but also the first military wife to receive the honor.
This was “a big deal because I knew it was bigger than me,” Kennedy said. Said local news station WDCW. “I knew this would mean a lot to all the LGBTQ kids out there who might feel like they don’t fit into the box, like I did.”
Kennedy added, “This award will open doors and open people’s minds to know that there are many sides to the LGBT community. I hope I can make a positive contribution to society by making a difference, like the USO program I’m working on.”
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Kennedy, who is married to a Marine, is active in the USO and other active-duty military organizations, according to her Instagram account.
In a recent post, Kennedy wrote: “For a long time, I haven’t had to tell anyone. Not because it’s a secret, but because it’s nobody’s business. The people who are important to me don’t care. The people who want to know such private, intimate details don’t care.”
“I can’t wait to begin my reign and return to the USO office to serve lunch and personally thank our active duty military members as I originally planned yesterday, because that’s something that means so much to me.”
This isn’t the first time a transgender contestant has competed in the Miss USA pageant: Cataluna Henriquez was crowned Miss Nevada USA 2021, Breitbart News reported.
The winner of the Miss USA pageant will compete in the Miss Universe competition, which will be held in Mexico on September 28th.
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