For the twenty-second year in a row, a new queen of the Pacific is to be crowned.
The Miss and Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific, which will be happening on October 27, is just like any other beauty pageant, except all of the contestants are transgender.
Fourteen contestants took the stage during the preliminary round on October 22. Contestants displayed their talents to the crowd and also showed off costumes made entirely out of recycled material.
The 2015 Queen of the Pacific, Kylie Diosa Duenas, will be making her final appearance as the current queen. On Thursday, October 27, she will pass down her crown to the new queen.
According to Duenas, one of the reasons she joined was to be an active advocate in the LGBT community of Guam.
As a beauty pageant title holder, she saw herself as a role model for members in her community.
The pageant does more than just offer an opportunity to showcase the contestants’ beauty; it provides a way for members of the transgender community to be okay with who they are.
“After high school, I had a long conversation with my parents, and they made me understand that I didn’t have to anything to make them happy,” Duenas said. “I had to do things to make me happy, and that’s when I understood my purpose in life, and that’s when I understood that it was okay for me to accept who I am and be comfortable in my own skin.”
With only 14 contestants in this year’s pageant, all eyes are on the crown, but there can only be one queen.
The Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific will be crowned that same night.
The Miss Teen Queen category is open to anyone under the age of 18, and many of them have yet to graduate from high school. The youngest competitor in the pageant was just 16 years old.
Despite the overwhelming amount of support the contestants receive from family and loved ones, it’s still hard to find people to run for the pageant.
Naveah Lashay, the reigning Teen Queen of the Pacific, was happy to open up about why she participates.
She said the parents are very concerned for their child, not wanting their kid to be bullied whatsoever.
“But that’s why I’m here,” Lashay said, “to help their child through the process of this amazing experience. I’ve come so far, and I want to see my fellow teenagers come as far as I did.”
If you’re interested in attending the Crowning of the 2016 Miss and Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific, head over to the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort on Thursday, October 29th.