Kataluna Enriquez has secured a place in history as a trailblazer for the LGBTQ community through her new crowning as Miss Nevada USA.
This beautiful young lady was crowned Miss Silver State USA on March 22, 2021. As a result of her victory on June 27, 2021, she became the first openly transgender woman to win the title of Miss Nevada USA. With her wins, she became the first openly transgender woman to win the title and become eligible to compete in the Miss USA pageant.
The first openly transgender woman to compete for the Miss USA title happened in June 2021 when she won the title of Miss Nevada USA, making her a transgender lady who publicly competed for Miss USA for the first time.
Enriquez did not make it to the final round of the Miss USA 2021 competition. Miss USA Elle Smith said, following the event, that participating with Enriquez had been an honor for her and that she had every right to be on stage with her. Enriquez plans to engage in public speaking and advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQIA Center of Southern Nevada as well as Las Vegas TransPride during her tenure as Miss Nevada USA.
After winning the Miss Silver State USA pageant in 2013, Enriquez later posted a picture on Instagram celebrating her accomplishment.
On Monday, she expressed her gratitude to her readers, writing, “Big thank you to everyone who backed me from day one.” “I will never forget my people. My victory is our victory. We have created history. Be proud.”
Enriquez would follow Angela Ponce of Spain, another openly transgender woman, to the Miss Universe pageant if she were to win Miss USA later this year.
Enriquez has revealed, however, that her ascent to the throne was fraught with difficulty at times. Here’s the scoop on Nevada’s next Miss America contestant:
She is a healthcare administrator who specializes in meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ patients, in addition to her other roles as a model and fashion designer.
The page begins, “From an early age, Kataluna battled various hardships in her life.” Today she utilizes her personal story as part of a movement to resist hatred by making herself vulnerable, called #BEVISIBLE.
She is a proud transwoman of color who has overcome physical and sexual assault to advocate for marginalized communities and support a wide range of non-profits and LGBTQ+ youth.
Working Woman Enriquez
Miss Silver State USA, Enriquez, is a healthcare administrator, a fashion designer, and the founder of KatalunaKouture, according to her brief Instagram profile.
Enriquez shared a selfie of herself on Instagram wearing a rainbow-colored gown that she had designed and sewn for her collection on Monday.
This bespoke outfit is dedicated to “pride month and all of those who don’t have a chance to flaunt their colors,” as she said.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6QBRKP7CKRB5BOSZKEL34LZXOQ.JPG)
She’s been a pageant contestant for quite some time.
Enriquez told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she entered her first transgender contest in 2016.
Enriquez claimed to the publication that, at the time, she was a model who “wanted to tell my narrative and demonstrate that I was more than just a body.”
Pageantry, she said, “is not only about beauty; it’s how you portray yourself, what you advocate for, what you’ve done, and what your ambitions are.”
Enriquez has been an outspoken supporter of transgender rights, diversity, and visibility since she began participating in cisgender pageants at the start of 2020.
She’s a Surviving Example of Perseverance
Enriquez spoke out about her experience with sexual and physical assault during an interview with NBC station KVVU.
Don’t allow your differences to determine your potential; she meant it when she stated that. Whatever it is that makes you unique is also what gives you the power to do everything you put your mind to.
During a Q&A segment of the pageant, Enriquez opened up about her childhood, sharing that she was ridiculed and mistreated by classmates and forbidden from using either the boys’ or girls’ restrooms, as reported by the Review-Journal.
“When I was younger, I was often informed that I couldn’t be myself or visit places where I wasn’t welcome,” she said.
She continued by saying she had realized her peculiarities were really strengths.
Enriquez Fights for More Publicity
Enriquez has made it a priority to promote transgender rights, diversity, and visibility while participating in beauty pageants.
Enriquez stressed to the Review-Journal the importance of diversity, inclusion, and proper representation. It’s something I lacked as a kid, and it’s still missing now.
She also told the media that she feels compelled to speak out about mental health after her own good experience with treatment.
In an interview with the Review-Journal, she said, “I’ve been in therapy since I was 10, and I appreciate being able to understand myself and other people’s viewpoints.” My position is that of a mental health advocate.
More than that, Enriquez “uses her life experiences and shares them in her platform #BEVISIBLE, a movement to fight hatred through vulnerability,” as Miss Silver State USA puts it.
