Once bullied, Kataluna Enriquez embraces her true self as she becomes the first transgender woman to compete in a Miss USA pageant.

“There aren’t many people like me in the media.”

What better way to show your bullies you’ve made it than by making it to a competition for being hot? 30-year-old Kataluna Enriquez became the first-ever trans woman to compete in a Miss USA pageant.

Originally from the Philippines, Enriquez said that she was made fun of for liking her sister’s toys and preferring more feminine clothing.

She said that the bullying only got worse when she moved to the USA at the age of 10.

Now she had to contend with learning a new language, and a new culture, while trying to understand her own identity.

Enriquez said that not only was she subjected to bullying regarding her feminine interests, but she also faced racism for being a person of color.

She said that she started to feel ashamed of herself and her culture.

She was able to get some mental health assistance through her high school but her household wasn’t one that advocated for such things.

She entered her first pageant in 2015, deciding to craft her own dress which she said was ‘falling apart’.

Her skills slowly grew to the point where she was able to launch Kataluna Kouture where she designed her own pageant gowns.

Finally in 2021, after winning the title of Miss Nevada, she made it to the contestant stage of Miss USA, writing her name down in history as the first-ever trans woman to do so.

There was backlash from critics but she decided to focus on herself and her progress in the competition.

Unfortunately, she did not make it to the final 16.

For Kataluna however, this was still a big win. “Being Asian American and also trans, there aren’t many people like me in the media. Growing up, I didn’t have someone to look up to, and I wanted to be that person to others.”

Kataluna is just getting started and is ready to step onto yet another stage at Miss International Queen USA which is the biggest pageant in the world for trans people.

“Having a space just for trans people is so important because we don’t often have that space to celebrate who we are.

“When I was competing in Miss USA, I pushed myself to be on the safer side. There were so many people who weren’t ready to understand.

“But this time, I’m giving a platform to allow trans people to express themselves authentically, and to give other people the opportunity to see us for who we are.”