Bailey Anne Kennedy is from Maryland. A 31-year-old American woman of Cambodian origin married a military man some time ago. She is also the first transgender woman in the country’s history to win the title of Miss Maryland USA. She thus broke the social barriers that had previously surrounded beauty contests that were popular in the United States. Interestingly, the 31-year-old won, taking part in her first competition in her life.
If Bailey Anne Kennedy wins the final on August 4 in Los Angeles, she will become the first transgender Miss USA. She will also be the oldest among the winners – previously, candidates over 28 years of age could not take part in this prestigious competition. Transgender women, however, have only been able to participate since the last decade.
She is 31 years old and has just become the first transgender Miss in history
The winner gave an interview to DC News in which she admitted, among other things, that she hoped her win would “encourage children from the LGBTQ+ community to be themselves.” She also added that she felt sisterly support from other candidates taking part in the competition.
At the age of 31, I felt confident in my own skin
– she confessed. She also expressed hope that her victory would “open some doors and hearts” to how people view the LGBT+ community. Her win has particular significance during this period, as June marks Pride Month, a reminder of the visibility and rights of non-heteronormative people. It is also the anniversary of the Stonewall events of 1969, considered one of the most important for the LGBT community. They initiated a movement for the rights of people from this community.
Anne Kennedy also decided to describe her thoughts and reflections on Bailey’s victory on social media. “The work I will do for the rest of my life is to ensure that children who feel like I do never have to worry about the consequences of being who they are (…)” – wrote the athlete. She also admitted that she kept her identity a secret for a long time.
I didn’t tell anyone about it for a long time. Not because it’s a secret, but because it’s my business. For those who are important to me, they don’t care. Those who care to know such private and personal details are of no importance to me
– she explained.
The situation of transgender people in the USA
Kennedy’s win is also of particular importance in the context of the situation in the United States. According to the Williams Institute at the University of California School of Law, there are approximately 1.6 million transgender people in the United States – including 24,000 in Maryland alone. Although the transgender community has recently gained greater visibility in the local and state space (thanks to, among others, Isis King, a transgender model who participated in “America’s Next Top Model”), people from this community still face serious obstacles.
They are victims of violence, hate crimes, discrimination in the workplace and in access to health care. Other problems include lack of respect for the rights of transgender people in prisons. The Baltimore Banner website quotes the results of the “Trans Murder Monitoring” report, according to which 321 transgender people were killed between October 1 and September 30, 2023. The report shows that 94 percent of deaths were transgender women.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
