A trans-identified male earlier in June became the first biological male to be crowned Miss Maryland USA, and the other contestants aren’t too happy about it.
Bailey Anne Kennedy, the trans-identified winner, won the beauty pageant on June 1, the first day of Pride Month, a detail that has not gone unnoticed by critics who claim there was some funny business involved in his victory:
“I was shocked,” one contestant told The Daily Signal as she described how she found out that she was competing against a man. This contestant, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her privacy, will be identified as Contestant A. “I had mixed feelings. I started to think that the winner might be predetermined.”
“A transgender woman gets crowned during first day of transgender Pride Month?” she asked. “It did not seem like a coincidence. Especially when owner of the pageant is a transgender woman herself. I was feeling like neither myself nor my fellow contestants had a fair opportunity from the beginning.”
Kennedy will now go on to compete for the title of Miss USA in Los Angeles in August. The 31-year-old beauty pageant contestant, who would reportedly be the oldest Miss USA winner in pageant history if he won, is married to Marine Corps officer Casey Guthrie.
Kennedy describes himself as a military wife. Immediately after winning the Miss Maryland contest, Kennedy marched in the Capitol Pride Parade in Washington, D.C.
According to a Daily Signal exclusive report, the 2024 Miss Maryland USA Contestant Agreement requires contenders to verify whether they are biologically male or female. If they identify as transgender, then they have to provide proof that they are recognized as their chosen gender.
A former contestant brought up concerns about men being allowed to share women’s spaces during the competition.
“We need transparency and consent to protect women-led spaces, especially those that involve minor teen contestants,” said the former contestant, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her privacy.
“Unless things have changed from when I competed, contestants share changing rooms and bedrooms,” she added. “Parents (and all contestants) have the right to know of biological male individuals occupying their female children’s private spaces, including shared changing rooms and hotel rooms. Further, organizations must not impose political agendas that undermine the hard work, finances, and dedication of contestants.”
Bailey Anne Kennedy was crowned the new Miss Maryland USA in June, becoming not only the first transgender woman to win the title but also the first Asian American to achieve the coveted honor. ❤️https://t.co/ldx4WgnksJ pic.twitter.com/W7k79dC6S8
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 25, 2024
Contestant Elizabeth McCarthy also raised this concern, saying that she “first realized I competed with a biological man a few days after the competition” and described feeling “shocked” and “sick to my stomach” upon finding out.
“I was disgusted and disappointed that the pageant coordinators allowed women to undress in front of a man without any disclosure,” she added.
Another competitor who chose to remain anonymous said she “felt lied to,” and that she would have “liked to know ahead of time, as I was subject to change, utilize the bathroom, and be in the same space as a biological man … it surely seemed like the organization and Bailey was trying to hide this fact until it was convenient to them.”
Another affirmed that folks who identify as trans have “rights just like every individual,” but said she believes “the competition was rigged.”
She also said it was “disheartening to have so many women pay for coaches, hair and makeup, and find sponsors when they already knew who they were going to select.”
