• When Kataluna Enriquez competed in Miss USA as the first trans woman, she made story.
• Pageants assisted Enriquez in overcoming decades of self-consciousness and vulnerability regarding her race and gender.
• She spoke with BI reporterHan Yoonji about the importance of creating space for trans representation.

This as-told writing is based on a conversation with 30-year-old Filipino American design and fashion designer Kataluna Enriquez, who became the first transgender Miss USA contestant. The writing has been lengthened and clarified.

I was aware of my uniqueness from a very youthful age. I already knew who I truly was by the time I was able to communicate or show my likes and preferences.

There was a lot of faith in the Philippines, where I was raised because the land is quite Christian. People have been pointing out to me since I was a young child that I should n’t play with my sister’s toys or choose her clothes over mine. In addition, I hung out with my female relatives more often than my male ones. People always told me not to be too girly because it was wrong, no matter what I did.

Courtesy ofKataluna Enriquez

When I moved to the US when I was ten years old, I came across a unique system and speech. I had to quickly discover a lot of new things. In addition, I was merely attempting to comprehend myself.

Being a first-generation person, I dealt with prejudice. My lunchboxes, which contained Filipino foods like wheat, meat chorizo, and lumpia, made fun of me by other students at school. Therefore, when children found out I was transgender, they also bullied me about it.

I had no idea how to handle abuse when I was a child. In order to succeed, I suppressed myself and taught myself to be afraid of my own society. I discovered that I was holding myself back in order to please other people, which seeped into both my private life and my job.

I’m starting my first parade.

While I transitioned, I went by the name Kataluna. You’re like a sun, majestic and mysterious, is one of my two first titles, and the nickname” Luna” came from opinions I frequently heard in my first years of change.

Four decades after I transitioned, in 2015, I entered my first show, a transpageant. To restore self-assurance and comprehend who I was, I made the decision to try pageantry.

Ceremonies are very popular in the Philippines. Pageantry used to objectify or sexualize people in my younger years, but now I see it differently. It’s more about realizing that these women are capable of so much more than just being attractive. I wanted to be a part of that event.

I did n’t know how to dress myself during my first pageant. I lacked a closet. I eventually made my own clothes, but I was n’t very good at it, so the dress started to fall apart when I entered the stage. In order to avoid being dressed on step, I held onto the front.

I finally gained the confidence to perform better and founded Kataluna Kouture, which creates all the outfits I end up wearing in pageants. For me, style has always served as a means of communication and an expression of my identity.

Getty/Bryan Steffy

As the first transgender person on Miss USA, she made history.

I entered Miss USA as the first openly transgender girl in 2021.

I was the subject of global news at the time, which was fantastic but also difficult. Many citizens were aiming their attention at me. People appeared to have a viewpoint. However, it assisted me in developing thicker skin and building a solid foundation for myself so that I would n’t be as negatively impacted.

I rather concentrated on my goal. I’m doing this for what reason? There are n’t many people like me in the media because I’m trans and Asian American. I wanted to be that person to others when I was younger because I did n’t have anyone to look up to.

It’s high time people like me are recognized, our stories are heard, and, more importantly, that we’re even honored.

Developing a program for transgender people

You can express anything you want to talk about on a spectacle program. It gave me the chance to get over my fears and join a supportive and forward-thinking area. In order to raise awareness of the issues, we are beginning to employ our accents more. For me, that equates to LGBTQ+ youth and emotional wellbeing.

Since I come from an Asian American background, the concept of “mental health” did n’t exist in our home, mental health is very important to me. I wanted to end my life at one place because of harassment and previous stress. I prayed that I would n’t awaken.

But I did have my first coaching program in high school at one point. I found that to be very useful and that not many people, particularly men, have that encounter.

We’re developing so quickly in a fast-paced world that we occasionally forget to be human, to feel depressed, and to remain motionless.

Photographer Andre McGowan

I want to make places where transgender people can share their reports. I’ll be taking part in Miss International Queen USA, the largest transgender show, next month.

There is a lot of discussion about how transgender people compete with cis people in pageants, but it’s crucial that there is an area just for trans people because we do n’t often have one. I pushed myself to be on the safer part when I was competing in Miss USA. There were a lot of people who lacked comprehension.

But this time, I’m providing a forum for transgender people to honestly express themselves and give others the chance to see who we really are.