Kataluna Enriquez made history after becoming the first transgender woman to win Miss Nevada USA.
The 27-year-old won the annual competition at the South Point hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Sunday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Monday.
Kataluna Enriquez, who has been competing in pageants since 2016, made history during Pride Month. https://t.co/DNiusbK5K8
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) June 29, 2021
Kataluna has only been on the pageant circuit for a year after competing in cisgender pageants. In March, she was crowned Miss Silver State USA. (RELATED: Miss District Of Columbia Wins Miss USA 2016)
Just saw this today: Filipino American Kataluna Enriquez, the newly crowned Miss Nevada, will be the first openly trans woman to compete for Miss USA #pride pic.twitter.com/bS1MxVN3f4
— Shawna Chen (@shawnarchen) June 29, 2021
“One thing that is important for me is inclusivity, diversity and representation,” the pageant winner shared after her win in March. “It’s something I did not have growing up and is still lacking in today’s world.”(RELATED: This Contestant Had A Powerful Answer When Asked About Women Serving In The Military)
“Today I am a proud transgender woman of color,” she added. “Personally, I’ve learned that my differences do not make me less than, it makes me more than.”
On Sunday, she competed in several gowns she designed herself.
“I did not always have money and it’s hard for women to find dresses that fit their bodies,” Enriquez shared. “Pageantry is so expensive and I wanted to compete and be able to grow and develop skills and create gowns for myself and other people.”
Enriquez will now go on to compete in the Miss USA 2021 pageant in November and represent the state after beating out 21 other candidates for the crown.