A man who identifies as a woman was recently crowned Miss Trans USA 2024, saying the moment was “surreal.”
Beyoncé Nieves is the first Afro-Latina to win the title, KREM reported Thursday, noting that he moved from New York years ago to Spokane, Washington.
Images show Nieves wearing the crown:
The outlet continued:
As Miss Trans USA, Nieves is keenly aware of the platform she now holds, and she intends to use it to spotlight both the trans community and Spokane itself.
“The legacy I want to leave behind is simple: to tell people that we are here, we are not invisible, and we are not going anywhere,” she said.
In addition to beauty and poise, contestants at the Miss Trans USA pageant are also evaluated based on their charitable work. For this competition, Nieves partnered with the Lavender Rights Project, a Seattle-based nonprofit that advocates for Black and gender-diverse communities. Through her involvement in the pageant and other events, Nieves has helped raise over a million dollars for the Lavender Rights Project.
Beyoncé Black St. James is a drag stage title while his real name is Beyoncé Nieves, per the Spokesman-Review.
The specific pageant’s website said, “The Trans USA National Pageantry System strives to celebrate and promote the development of transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming leaders as visible advocates and role models for the community at large.” The pageant is also a non-profit.
In June, the Miss Maryland USA beauty pageant crowned its first transgender winner, Bailey Anne Kennedy, Breitbart News reported.
“Bailey Anne Kennedy — a biological male who identifies as a woman — will go on to compete in the Miss USA competition set for August 4 in Los Angeles,” the outlet said.
“This isn’t the first time the Miss USA pageant will feature a transgender contestant. As Breitbart News reported, Kataluna Enriquez won Miss Nevada USA in 2021,” the article read.