Meet Kataluna Enriquez The First Transgender Woman To Ever Compete In The Prestigious Miss USA Pageant
Las Vegas, Nevada. Kataluna Enriquez just won the title of Miss Nevada USA, which means she’s going on to compete in the prestigious Miss USA pageant.
Kataluna is 28-years-old, and she’s set to be the very first transgender woman to ever compete for the title of Miss USA (she’s also the first transgender woman to win the title of Miss Nevada USA and Miss Silver State as well).
Miss USA is taking place this year in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the Paradise Cove Theater of River Spirit Casino Resort on November 29th.
Kataluna is no stranger to pageants; she’s been competing for several years now and she enjoys the advocacy aspect of it.
LGBTQ+ rights and transgender visibility are part of Kataluna’s platform and they’re topics close to her heart.
Facebook; pictured above is Kataluna
Kataluna didn’t have an easy road to accepting herself, so making others feel accepted for who they are is exceptionally important to her.
“My journey to self love was never easy,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “At a young age, I had to learn to live in the shadows to survive.”
“I lived two separate lives. I was beaten, physically & sexually assaulted, refused basic human rights, bullied and even prayed many nights to never wake up.”
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“I was shown the lowest so I can learn to reach my highest. But it was never the destination that kept me thriving, it was the journey to #selflove.”
When she’s not competing in pageants or standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, Kataluna is busy designing amazing couture gowns under her label Katalunakouture.
Kataluna started creating her own couture gowns after she experienced two issues in shopping for them.
First of all, the prices were something she just couldn’t swing, and second of all, it was tough for her to find a gown that fit her body well.
Facebook; pictured above is Kataluna with her winning Miss Nevada USA sash
“I was competing at my very first pageant and had no knowledge and insight of the standards and expectations,” she explained in a post on her Instagram account for her business.
“I was completely unprepared and went home that night feeling defeated. From that experience, I’ve refused to let my situation stop me from reaching my dreams and ambitions.”
“I took everything that I know, created everything with the help of my closest friends, and went on competing, winning titles, and growing.”
“Up to this day, I have never worn a store-bought or another designer’s gown in any of the competitions I’ve competed in.”
“Ultimately I’ve realized that women like me, A transgender woman could be also experiencing situations where they couldn’t afford, have the resources, or simply didn’t have the right cut to have that special moment of just simply feeling beautiful in a gown.”
“So the last couple years, I began designing for other women of all types and backgrounds with the goal that every woman should be able to have the chance of feeling beautiful, elegant, and powerful.”
Instagram; pictured above is a tulle gown designed by Kataluna
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