First transgender woman crowned Miss Nevada USA: ‘My win is our win’

The first transgender woman crowned as Miss Nevada USA called her victory “a win” for the LGBTQ community, People.com reported on Tuesday.

In an Instagram post, Miss Nevada USA Kataluna Enriquez thanked everyone for their support, referring to her win as a victory for the members of her community. 

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your help. Huge thank you to everyone who supported me from day one. My community, you are always in my heart,”  Enriquez said in her post. “My win is our win. We just made history. Happy pride.”

Enriquez, 27, became the first transgender woman to win a competition in pageant history, beating out 21 other contestants to be crowned Miss Nevada USA, according to People. 

Enriquez works as a health care administrator and owns a clothing brand called Katalunakouture, according to a short bio from Miss Silver State. The bio also states that Enriquez is a survivor of physical and sexual abuse.

“Now she uses her life experiences and shares it in her platform #BEVISIBLE, a campaign to combat hate through vulnerability,” the post reads. “As a survivor of physical and sexual abuse and a proud Transwoman of color, she aims to break barriers and represent those who aren’t always represented and continues to support numerous non-profit organizations and LGBTQ+ youth.”

Enriquez will compete for the Miss USA crown in November, People noted.