Bailey Anne Kennedy, a wife of a Marine, has become the first-ever transgender Miss Maryland USA, winning the title on Saturday as per the official Miss Maryland USA Instagram account. Now set to compete at Miss USA in Los Angeles on August 4th, she shared that her victory was a “whirlwind because I knew it was bigger than me.
Kennedy explained to WDCW that the win would mean a lot for all the LGBTQ kids out there who might feel like they don’t belong in a box. She did not have any anxiety about being the only trans competitor, and felt bolstered by the “sisterhood” of women on stage.
At 31, she felt confident in her own skin, past the old age limit for participating in Miss Universe pageants which is now 28. She hopes her milestone will open up some doors, open up some hearts for people to see that there are many aspects of the LGBT community out there and she can be a positive contribution to society through her work with the USO program.
Kennedy was inspired to compete in pageants following her marriage in 2019. She explained on her website that she saw it as a sign from the Universe, ready to crown an older, military spouse like herself. As well as being the first transgender Miss Maryland USA, Kennedy is also the first Asian American winner and the first military spouse to hold the title.
The first trans contestant to appear at Miss USA was Kataluna Enriquez, who competed as Miss Nevada USA in 2018.
