The first transgender participant to triumph in a regional Miss America Organization beauty pageant is now a teenager from New Hampshire.
Brán Nguyen, 19, took first place in the pageant held on Sunday night to become “Miss Greater Derry 2023,” a position that comes with a crown, title, and scholarship.
Nguyen said on Instagram that she had “officially became the FIRST transgender titleholder under the Miss America Organization in the 100-year history of Miss America.”
No words can adequately express the thrill of having the chance to represent and serve my community at Miss New Hampshire for the first time, said Nguyen.
“I feel really privileged to have been chosen as your new Miss Greater Derry 2023, and I can’t wait to share my plans with you all.
This year is going to be incredible.”
According to its website, the Miss Greater Derry Scholarship Program, which was established in 1986, awards “scholarships to young women between the ages of 17 and 24 living in the Greater Derry area in recognition of their outstanding achievements in scholastic aptitude, talent, character, community service, and poise.”
A precursor competition for the Miss New Hampshire Pageant and ultimately the Miss America Pageant is the Miss Greater Derry Scholarship Pageant.
While some users of social media congratulated Nguyen on her victory, others severely attacked the contest for “stealing” a scholarship intended for a “young woman.”
One Twitter user said, “If this were a woman, she would never even have made it through the admittance procedure.
After a transgender complainant filed a case alleging discrimination, a federal judge recently declared that the Miss United States of America competition cannot be forced to include transgender participants.
The federal court determined that “Miss United States of America” is entitled under the First Amendment to choose who participates in its pageants.
Additionally, Miss America contests forbid competitors from taking nude photos or having criminal convictions.
Additionally, competitors must be Americans.
