MAGA Missed One Major Point Over Miss Maryland Fury

Angry supporters of former president Donald Trump who slammed the transgender winner of a Miss USA beauty pageant may have to eat their words when they realize who helped make Bailey Anne Kennedy’s victory possible.

The Make America Great Again brigade took to social media to balk at Kennedy winning Miss Maryland USA. But the Miss USA pageants have allowed transgender competitors since 2012, and it may surprise MAGA supporters which trailblazer approved a similar decision that year.

Kennedy took out the state championship on Saturday and will go on to compete in the national Miss USA pageant in Los Angeles on August 4.

She knew her win would mean a lot to LGBTQ+ people, saying it was all a “whirlwind because I knew it was bigger than me.”

“I knew that it was going to mean a lot for all the LGBTQ kids out there who might feel like they don’t belong in a box—like me growing up,” she told Washington, D.C.’s TV station WDCW Wednesday.

Kennedy also made history as the first Asian American and first military spouse to win Miss Maryland USA. The pageant organizers welcomed Kennedy’s win and her participation.

“Since 2012 trans women have been welcomed into our organization. Additionally, as of 2023 the organization invited all adult women of any age, marital and family status. As an organization, we fully support our Miss Maryland USA 2024, Bailey Anne,” a spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement.

“Every person has the right to live authentically and pursue every opportunity, and we believe Bailey Anne embodies these values. She is brave, resilient, and committed to her truth, all attributes that make her an excellent state representative.

“While change is always met with adversity, the support Bailey Anne and the Miss Maryland USA organization is receiving does not go unnoticed. We see Bailey’s win as a win for everyone who dreamed the impossible dream.”

Despite her triumph, MAGA and other conservatives slammed the win on social media.

“Bailey Anne is a male who just won miss Maryland while pretending to be a woman. It’s hard to feel bad for the women when they just watch and clap… Women, stand up and speak out!! Do not let your spaces and titles be taken over by men!” wrote the Libs of TikTok account on X, formerly Twitter.

Anti-transgender pundit, Oli London added, “MAN crowed (sic) Miss Maryland USA. Transgender male Bailey Anne has beaten dozens of women to win the prestigious women’s pageant title.”

But an Iraq war veteran pointed out a major hole in MAGA’s outrage, and that was that Trump himself had allowed a transgender woman to compete in Miss Universe. Before becoming president, Trump was a real estate mogul and owned the Miss Universe and Miss Teen Universe pageants.

“Lol at all the MAGA accounts like ‘libs of tik tok’ complaining about a transgender contestant winning Miss Maryland. In 2012, when Donald Trump owned the Miss Universe Pageant, he personally overruled the pageant staff to allow a transgender contestant to participate in the pageant,” wrote Peter Henlein on X.

“Trump himself, more than anyone else on earth, has paved the way for transgender participants in beauty pageants….but none of these MAGA accounts would ever have the courage to admit it.”

Newsweek contacted Trump’s representatives by email for comment.

Henlein even shared a media article from the time about Trump’s decision.

“As long as she meets the standards of legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, which we understand that she does, Jenna Talackova is free to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada pageant,” said Michael Cohen, former special counsel to Trump, told Reuters at the time.

“Nobody is capitulating. Rather the Miss Universe organization is respecting the laws of Canada… ” [she] like all the other contestants, is wished the best of luck by Mr. Trump.”

Another X account, @auntsassya** echoed Henlein’s opinion.

“Bailey Anne became the first transgender female to win Miss Maryland. MAGA is throwing a fit. So quickly they forget back when Trump was involved with Miss America, he positioned to allow a transgender contestant. But besides that, she’s beautiful…congratulations 👏 👏 👏,” she wrote.

Kennedy is not the first state-level trans winner, Kataluna Enriquez took out the Miss Nevada USA crown in 2021.

Her win follows much debate about transgender competitors in pageants around the world.

In 2023, Rikkie Valerie Kollé was the first transgender woman to win Miss Netherlands and became the second to compete at Miss Universe, following Angela Ponce who represented Spain in 2018.

Following Kollé’s win however, Italy banned transgender women from vying for the crown there, stating competitors “must be a woman from birth.”

The term transgender refers to someone whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth, and while state laws vary greatly across the country, transgender women are recognized as women once they meet a series legal requirements.

The Miss Universe Organization, including sister pageants, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, is currently owned by JKN Global Group and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc. The Miss Universe Pageant was reportedly owned by Donald Trump from 1996 to 2015.