19-Year-Old 'Transgender' Controversy After Winning U.S. Regional Beauty Pageant
Miss New Hampshire Beauty Pageant 'Miss Greater Derry' ... 9.9 Million Won Scholarship
"Honored to Be the First Transgender Winner in 100 Years of Miss America History"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] A 19-year-old transgender contestant has sparked controversy by winning a local beauty pageant held in New Hampshire, USA.
The 'Miss Greater Derry 2023' pageant held on the 6th (local time) selected transgender Brian Nguyen (19) as this year's winner. Since its inception in 1986, this pageant allows women aged 17 to 24 to participate, and awards the winner a $7,500 (approximately 9.9 million KRW) scholarship. The pageant's purpose is to "provide opportunities to outstanding women in various fields such as academics, talent, personality, and community service." There has been ongoing debate among netizens about whether Nguyen, who is biologically male, qualifies as a "woman," and his appearance, which differs somewhat from typical beauty pageant winners, has fueled the controversy. Among the criticisms, the most frequent is that his win ultimately deprived biological women of opportunities.
Putting aside the controversy, Nguyen himself took to Instagram to share his thoughts on winning and his future plans. He is a freshman majoring in Business Administration at Nashua Community College and hopes to create sustainable and ethical products in clothing, cosmetics, and accessories after completing his studies. He also expressed his desire to build a career in modeling and the social media industry. Through social networking services (SNS), he is leading the #QueensAreEverywhere campaign to help young people build confidence, realize their potential, and become leaders.
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He stated, "I am honored to be the first transgender titleholder in the 100-year history of the Miss America organization," and added, "It will be a wonderful year." The Miss Greater Derry pageant serves as a preliminary competition for the Miss New Hampshire and Miss America pageants, and Nguyen plans to participate in the Miss New Hampshire pageant scheduled for April next year.
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