Woman went from being bullied to becoming first transgender woman to compete at Miss USA pageant

From a young age, Kataluna Enriquez experienced being made fun of, told off, and bullied for being herself. Since then, she's gone on to make history as the first transgender Miss USA contestant.

Enriquez, who is now 30 years old, grew up in the Philippines, where she was surrounded by the country's catholic religion.

She was called out as a child for playing with her sister's toys and showing a preference for her clothing, and things didn't get much better when she moved to the US at the age of 10.

There, Enriquez had to learn a new culture and a whole new language while also trying to understand herself.

She experienced racism, and later was bullied about being transgender after she transitioned in 2011.

With no idea about how to cope with the attacks, Enriquez told Business Insider she taught herself to be ashamed of her culture, and to suppress who she was.

Enriquez said the concept of 'mental health' didn't exist in her household, but she was able to find help in a counseling session at high school, which she found 'really helpful'.

Instagram/@mskataluna

In 2015, Enriquez entered her first pageant, a trans pageant, to try and regain confidence in herself.

She made her own dress - which ended up 'falling apart' on stage - and became more skilled over time as she went on to start Kataluna Kouture, which designs all the gowns she uses in pageants.

In 2021, Enriquez made history by becoming the first openly transgender woman to compete in Miss USA.

Though she received some backlash from cruel critics over her involvement in the event, Enriquez focused on her 'purpose'.

She explained: "Being Asian American and also trans, there aren't many people like me in the media. Growing up, I didn't have someone to look up to, and I wanted to be that person to others."

Instagram/@mskataluna

Enriquez ended up being eliminated from the pageant before the round of 16, with the prize going to Kentucky reporter Elle Smith.

Enriquez isn't giving up, though, and next year she'll be competing at Miss International Queen USA, the biggest pageant for trans people.

Discussing her involvement, she said: "Having a space just for trans people is so important because we don't often have that space to celebrate who we are.

"When I was competing in Miss USA, I pushed myself to be on the safer side. There were so many people who weren't ready to understand.

"But this time, I'm giving a platform to allow trans people to express themselves authentically, and to give other people the opportunity to see us for who we are."