The preliminary competition for the 2016 Miss & Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific hosted by Leah’s Fabulous Production was held on was held on Oct. 22 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Tamuning Community Center. In the event, the teen contestants were judged on talent and costume, which was to be made of recycled products.
The Miss & Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific Competitions are held to show support for Guam’s teenage transgender community.
Nevaeh Lashay, Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific 2015 is an advocate in Guam’s transgender community.
Lashay attended the 4th Annual Miss & Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific Preliminary Competition in support of the teenage contestants and to hand down her title of “Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific.”
“The mission for Leah’s Fabulous Productions is to promote acceptance and equality through all walks of life,” Lashay said.
Lashay was senior at Southern High School when she won the title of “Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific 2015.”
“I used that [the title] as an advantage to talk to my peers, to get more info out about transgender,” Lashay said, “I wanted to let everyone know how the community works, we’re just people like everyone else.”
Kylie Diosa Duenas, Miss Queen of the Pacific 2015 is another active advocate in the LGBT community.
Duenas attended this year’s event and came to offer her support and advice to the teenage contestants.
“It’s just so fulfilling to see so many different people from so many different cultures and races sit in the audience and truly support the contestants on stage,” Duenas said.
Duenas and Lashay both spoke about their family and background as supportive and accepting. However, Duenas described the difficulties that past Miss Queens of the Pacific had.
“I really pay homage to those who have come before me, because it was a lot tougher then than it is now in 2016, there are still a lot of people who are close-minded, but back then our past queens took some of the hardest hits,” Duenas said.
“Now it’s easier for me to be comfortable with who I am because it’s not so hard anymore,” Duenas said, “there are more understanding people than there are negative close-minded people.”
As Miss Queen of the Pacific, Duenas said a lot of brain and dedication goes into finding the best way to impact the community.
Duenas sends a message to the teenage contestants and to the transgender community that: “We’ve come a long way with acceptance and equality and there are people who support you and you are going to encounter people that don’t, but just remember there are always more who will.”