For the twenty-second year in a row, a new queen of the Pacific is to be crowned.
\nThe 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.
\nFourteen 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.
\nThe 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.
\nAccording to Duenas, one of the reasons she joined was to be an active advocate in the LGBT community of Guam.
\nAs a beauty pageant title holder, she saw herself as a role model for members in her community.
\nThe pageant does more than just offer an opportunity to showcase the contestants\u2019 beauty; it provides a way for members of the transgender community to be okay with who they are.
\n\u201cAfter high school, I had a long conversation with my parents, and they made me understand that I didn\u2019t have to anything to make them happy,\u201d Duenas said. \u201cI had to do things to make me happy, and that\u2019s when I understood my purpose in life, and that\u2019s when I understood that it was okay for me to accept who I am and be comfortable in my own skin.\u201d
\nWith only 14 contestants in this year\u2019s pageant, all eyes are on the crown, but there can only be one queen.
\nThe Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific will be crowned that same night.
\nThe 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.
\nDespite the overwhelming amount of support the contestants receive from family and loved ones, it\u2019s still hard to find people to run for the pageant.
\nNaveah Lashay, the reigning Teen Queen of the Pacific, was happy to open up about why she participates.
\nShe said the parents are very concerned for their child, not wanting their kid to be bullied whatsoever.
\n\u201cBut that\u2019s why I\u2019m here,\u201d Lashay said, \u201cto help their child through the process of this amazing experience. I\u2019ve come so far, and I want to see my fellow teenagers come as far as I did.\u201d
\nIf you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 … <\/p>\n

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