Who is Miss Nevada 2021 Kataluna Enriquez?
KATALUNA Enriquez's win comes as a major milestone in beauty pageant history. The 27-year-old is the first openly transgender woman to have competed and won the title of Miss Nevada 2021. A Filippino-American transgender woman, Kataluna is also a gown and costume designer. She launched her very own label, Kataluna Couture, in November, 2019, and has since designed many dresses, including Miss International Oceania AKA Raquel Basco's for the Miss International pageant in 2019. On 28 June, 2021, before winning the title of Miss Nevada 2021, she took to Instagram to share a snap, posing in another creation of hers: a sequined dress in the colours of the Pride flag. Kataluna first competed in transgender-specific pageants in 2016, after working as a fashion model. Four years later, she made her way to cisgender beauty contests. In March 2021, Kataluna won the Miss Silver State pageant, a preliminary stage before the Miss Nevada contest. She has now made history and her victory is being celebrated by many trans activists around the world. Kataluna makes it no secret, however, that her life before fame was anything but easy. She told TV channel KVVU: "I didn't have much growing up. I didn't have support but I'm still able to thrive and I'm still able to survive and become a trailblazer for many." She is also not shy when it comes to speaking about her former struggles. Kataluna added: "I didn't have the easiest journey in life. I struggled with physical and sexual abuse. I struggled with mental health." Kataluna thanked the LGBTQ+ community after her win. "My win is our win", she wrote on Instagram, "we just made history. Happy Pride." But her race is far from over. After beating out 21 other contestants at the Miss Nevada beauty pageant at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Kataluna will represent Nevada at the Miss USA pageant. The contest will be held on 29 November, 2021, at the Paradise Cove Theatre, at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Oklahoma. Another step before, hopefully, trying her luck at the Miss Universe contest. If Kataluna is elected Miss USA, she could very well take part in the Miss Universe pageant, becoming the second transgender contestant. Angela Ponce was the first trans beauty queen to take part in the pageant when she represented Spain in 2018. Miss Universe began accepting trans entrants back in 2012.