“I do think it is a big deal to come into Miss America being open, because the visibility for the LGBT community is what we need right now”, O’Flaherty said in a recent interview with Cosmopolitan.
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Josh Randle, COO of the Miss America Organization, told the AP, “Through every major milestone of our nation’s evolution, Miss America has provided a voice for women from all walks of life, and, this year, we welcome our first openly gay contestant”.
Miss District of Columbia and Miss Tennessee were declared the winners of the first night of the Miss America competition preliminaries Tuesday.
The first night of preliminary competition in this year’s pageant begins Tuesday night, September 6, 2016, with the new Miss.
Lesbians have been more visible in pageants lately. “I’m ready to go to Miss America, and I’m really happy to have made history”, O’Flaherty said on “Entertainment Tonight.”
Erin O’Flaherty was crowned Miss Missouri in June, giving her the chance to compete for the crown. It was Miss Kentucky 2010 Djuan Trent.
Before the competition, the contestants were placed in three groups that determined which night they would perform their talent, participate in the evening gown/swim wear competitions and answer a question on stage.
But it wasn’t all quips: Each contestant also offered up a deeper cause that they hoped to promote if they were declared Miss America. According to the pageant’s website, the majority of this year’s contestants will either be dancing or singing.
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Preliminary competition starts Tuesday and the victor will be crowned on Sunday night.
