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Miss America Welcomes Erin O’Flaherty, Pageant’s First Openly Gay Contestant

The remaining preliminary stages will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, with the victor crowned during a televised contest in the USA on Sunday. Ashley Thompson, who was first runner-up to Miss Mississippi a few years ago, is a member of the team that helped get Lewis ready for the Miss America stage. “Now I get to be more visible to the community and meet more people”.

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Miss Tennessee’s rendition of Desperado has earned her a $2,000 scholarship at the Miss America pageant.

Miss America contestants wave to the crowd during the opening of the second night of Miss America Pageant Preliminaries at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in Atlantic City.

“I’ve actually had difficulty choosing between dresses”, Lewis said. Djuan Trent competed in the Miss America pageant as Miss Kentucky in 2011, when she finished in the top 10.

In 2012, two openly lesbian contestants, Jenelle Hutcherson and Mollie Thomas, competed in the Miss California USA pageant but did not advance to the national Miss USA pageant competition. The new Miss America will be crowned on Sunday. “They’ll say, ‘This is the amount of sponsorship”.

Georgia is well represented at the Miss America pageant this year. “It’s about developing young women for society”. Miss District of Columbia and Miss Tennessee won the first night of preliminaries in the Miss America competition Tuesday.

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Josh Randle, chief operating officer of the Miss America Organization, said the pageant reflects an evolving America.

Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis