Student, 19, becomes first-ever transgender Miss America as critics accuse pageant of ‘allowing contestants to steal opportunities’ (photos)
A student has become the first-ever transgender Miss America contestant to win a local pageant, prompting critics to accuse the pageant of ‘allowing opportunities to be stolen from contestants’.
Earlier this month, Brían Nguyen, 19, made Miss America history by becoming the first transgender woman to win the title of Miss Greater Derry.
The Miss Greater Derry Scholarship Program, run by the Miss America Organization, welcomes applicants between the ages of 17 and 24 who are judged on their “academic achievement, aptitude, talent, character, service community and their balance”, according to their website.
In April, the business management student will compete against other local titleholders to become Miss New Hampshire 2023.
The winner of the state tour will then compete in the larger Miss America pageant later in the year.
Writing for the Daily Fetched, the 42-year-old former Miss Great Britain said: “I won the Miss Great Britain pageant in 1998 and, apart from all the glitz and glamor on the surface, it took a lot of time and effort.
“Seeing the news that Brían Nguyen won the show made me think about how I would feel if I was beaten by a big biological male after spending months training and preparing for the show.
“Winning the competition opened up a world of opportunity for me, as I was allowed to compete fairly in an era devoid of woke ideology. Unfortunately, these young women today do not have the same luck.
The former beauty queen went on to accuse the pageant of being “desperate to appear woke and inclusive” to appeal to younger generations.
She added: “Brian Nguyen was just blessed to be born in the right era.”
“For the sake of women in the future, we can’t allow this, they don’t even realize the opportunity that has been stolen from them by a biological male and it’s out of control.”
Meanwhile, GB News host Mark Dolan commented: “Yes we have reached the peak of revival – where an intact biological male […] calls herself a woman and defeats a group of real young girls in a women’s beauty contest.
The contest has since removed information regarding how much Brían earned from his scholarship from their website.
Celebrating the historic achievement on her Instagram page, Brían said “no words” could explain how much the win meant to her.
She wrote: “In the 100 year history of Miss America, I have officially become the FIRST transgender titleholder within the Miss America organization.
“No words can describe the feeling of having the opportunity to serve my community and represent my community for the very first time at Miss New Hampshire.
“I’m so honored to be crowned your new Miss Greater Derry 2023, and thrilled to show you everything I have up my sleeves. It’s going to be an amazing year.
