Photos From the 2016 Trans Nation Beauty Pageant
When I arrived Saturday at the historic Ace Hotel Theater for the the Queen USA Trans Beauty Pageant, the place was overflowing with L.A.’s hippest and most glamorous LGBTQ fashionistas. The sounds of trans women decked out in fancy cocktail dresses double-cheek kissing and greeting long-time friends echoed through the lobby.
The pageant is now in its 15th year, but this year felt particularly special. With the success of the Emmy-winning television show Transparent and stars like Caitlyn Jenner coming out, trans issues are finally being recognized by the mainstream media now more than ever.
Since the event is at heart a competition of evening wear, swimwear, and a Q&A, I assumed the vibe between the 35 contestants would be cold and cut-throat. I could not have been more wrong. Everyone was giggling; women were sharing bobby pins and helping each other zip up. It was like The Great British Baking Show of pageants. “I hope you win.” “No, I hope you win.”
Of course, at a trans beauty pageant, there is still an emphasis on looks, bodies, and makeup that ruffles the feathers of some. But despite all that, publicly celebrating and appreciating trans women is still a radical concept in our society. Tragically, trans people are still widely oppressed and brutalized all over the world. So watching a trans woman strut her stuff in a sparkly outfit that would make Cher proud is not just fluffy entertainment; it’s a political act. It’s a rallying cry for respect, appreciation, and dignity.
Below, seven of the contestants share their successes, struggles, and how they got to where they are today.
Kataluna Enriquez, 23
Winner of the 2016 Trans Nation Pageant
Occupation: Graphic designer and marketer
State: California
“I started transitioning freshman year of high school when I was 14. I was living in San Leandro on the borderline of Oakland. I have a broken family, so my mom was somewhere else and my dad was not easy to deal with. There were times when I felt more at home at school than at home. I would dress like myself at school and then change into sweatpants before going back home. Even though I was bullied in school a lot, I felt at peace. I was more of myself.
"I’m Filipino, my family has a very religious Catholic background. Plus, I was the eldest and the only son, so there was huge pressure on me. My dad didn’t accept me until three years ago when I started getting into a relationship. When I brought home my boyfriend, I think he realized, ‘Someone loves and accepts her. Why can’t I accept my own child?’
"From time to time, I still do get depressed, but not as much I used to. The main source of depression used to be about my identity, having no support or self-love. Now I do. My boyfriend helped me with that. He taught me to love myself; he showed me that I am beautiful. It took me awhile to accept that. No one in my family every told me, ‘Oh, you look beautiful.’ When he started showing me love, I felt complete. It changed my whole attitude. I’m more positive, more caring. I finally started accepting myself because someone accepted me.”
Jesse Lewis, 35
Occupation: Actor
State: Alabama
“I was addicted to meth for two years and I was also on alcohol for 10. But I got sober. My mom moved in with me and we conquered it together. I wanted to do this pageant so I could look into somebody’s face, an attendant, a guest, a contestant, maybe someone reading this article, and give them hope. Substance abuse is so high among people in the LGBT community. I’m lucky, my mom is a therapist. She’s liberal and open-minded. Not everyone’s parent is a therapist; not everybody can afford to go to college.
"My emotional struggle was internal; it wasn’t external. I didn’t like myself. The world around me was like, ‘You’re cute, you’re smart, you got it goin’ on!’ But something inside me was causing me to make bad decisions. So I want to go on stage and tell people you can like yourself, any way you want. If you’re not ‘passable,’ you’re still lovable; if you’re not educated, you’re still lovable. You are lovable just the way you are.”
Garnet Rubio, 21
Occupation: Model, actor, and real estate agent
State: Tennessee
“A lot of trans women will say, ’Don’t focus on "passing," it doesn’t define who you are. You need to learn to love yourself how you were born.’ And that is 100 percent true. In the end, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. But when I’m seeing these reports of trans women being lit on fire or stabbed in the face, that terrifies me. Because there are some times I step outside without makeup, and people will give me mean and dirty looks, and it terrifies me because you never know what’s gonna happen. Since I’ve moved to New York City, we’ve already had a few reported cases of trans women being pushed into subway tracks.
"For me, passing is not about being shallow, it’s about saving your life. Gay men, gay women, and gender non-conforming people have to fear for their lives and fear being brutally attacked because it happens every day all over the damn world, and it sucks.
"I also like trying to pass for myself, of course. It’s also for my self-esteem. It helps you see in the mirror, I’m a woman, I’m not a man in a dress, I’m being who I’m meant to be. It’s a hard journey but when you get there, it’s so wonderful. Since transitioning, this is the first year of my life where I’ve actually enjoyed being alive.”
Kinley Preston, 33
Occupation: Entrepreneur and philanthropist
State: Illinois
“I think the Trans Nation pageant is great. I’d love to see it become more mainstream, even televised. In a lot of rural areas, people think a trans woman is just a man in a wig. When they see us in a bathing suit, they won’t believe it. It will make people question gender and sexuality, because they’re gonna see all these beautiful trans women with beautiful bodies, and men will be turned on by that, and a lot of men will question themselves, Am I gay? No, you’re not, because we’re women.
"Everyone is so caught up with what’s between the legs and that’s not what matters. It’s what’s between the ears. The swimsuit part of the pageant is empowering because it starts a dialogue. People are turned on by us, and it makes them question themselves and their beliefs on what sexuality and gender is."
Angel Quinan
Occupation: Registered nurse
State: New Jersey
“I want to use this pageant as a platform to help the young girls out there not lose hope. I wanted to transition when I was 17, but I did not get enough support at that time. There were countless times that I wanted to give up, but I kept pushing. I just transitioned three years ago and it’s been the happiest three years of my life. We all have our own unique obstacles but that’s what makes our lives more meaningful. That’s what makes our community special, is that uniqueness.”
Bella Beautiful, 29
Occupation: Owner of Ara Bella Clothing Boutique
State: Florida
“My goal for doing the pageant is exposure, visibility, and knowledge. I would like to take this career and encourage other trans youth. When I came out as trans, the gay community kind of was negative about it. People would tell me, ‘You won’t find love, a lot of trans people are lonely, they’re only sought after sexually.’ I was told I would never amount to anything. So my goal with the pageant is to inspire someone who identifies as trans to let them know, ‘It’s OK if this is who you are. Do what makes you happy. You can’t let other people’s opinions of how you live your life affect you.’ I want to inspire trans youth [so they know] that it’s OK to be different.”
Ariana, 22
Occupation: Activist
State: White Mountain Apache Tribe
“I grew up on the reservation, and I used to get beat up by older kids because I presented as a gay boy and no one understood. So that’s why I moved away and went to boarding school. I transitioned at boarding school, and for the most part, I had support. I tried out for cheerleading and became the first trans cheerleader at my high school.
"My dream is to create a task force of people to go back to the reservation and educate people there. Educate our police station, ambulance, hospitals, our school system, about how to be LGBT friendly. Because they don’t know.
"My advice for anyone who feels like they are trans but has not come out yet is: Be brave. It’s not easy, but it will get easier. There is peace on the other side of this big wall we’re all trying to climb.”
Follow Rose on Twitter.
For more celebrity videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS.
You Might Also Like
