Who is Kataluna Enriquez? First transgender to compete in Miss Nevada USA once asked to confirm if she's female

"One of the obstacles I encounter every day is just being true to myself," Kataluna said during the competition

PUBLISHED MAR 20, 2021

'Today I am a proud transgender woman of color': Kataluna Enriquez (Kataluna/ Instagram)

The first transgender titleholder, Kataluna Enriquez, has been crowned Miss Silver State USA. The local pageant is considered to be the biggest preliminary competition ahead of Miss Nevada USA, which she's thrilled to compete in.

Today, Kataluna calls the win "a celebration of women and diversity" but the climb to the top was not smooth. Previously, the organizers of one of the pageants she participated in asked for documents from a doctor that would prove her gender identity.

"I was asked to provide documents that were invasive in my opinion physically asking me to get a letter from my doctor," Kataluna told Fox 5 Vegas and added: "It brought me back to the time where I felt like I was not welcome."

In her interview with the outlet, she chose to keep the name of the pageant a secret but confirmed that she was required to get herself checked so that the organizers could be sure of her gender. Unlike her fellow contestants, Kataluna was not assigned a roommate. Fortunately, she took all the discrimination in her stride and made it into her pageant platform. "It gives you higher purpose," she concluded.

Her ideologies of life resonated with one of the answers she gave during the competition. When asked to describe an obstacle she has had to face, Kataluna said: "Growing up, I was often told that I was not allowed to be myself, or to be in spaces that I was not welcome. One of the obstacles I encounter every day is just being true to myself."

"Today I am a proud transgender woman of color," Pink news quoted her as saying. "Personally, I’ve learned that my differences do not make me less than, it makes me more than. And my differences are what make me unique, and I know that my uniqueness will take me to all my destinations, and whatever I need to go through in life."

Who is Kataluna Enriquez?

Even though Kataluna is passionate about her craft she likes to switch off from the competitiveness every once in a while. The pageant winner recently shared a travel photo dump on Instagram with a caption that read: "I miss knocking out on a plane, waking up to food in front of you and getting off the plane in a new location. Here’s some of my travel diaries," her post continued: "Think you can name what city and country these photos were taken in? Every 2 photos is a new location. And Nooo, if u took this photo, pls don’t answer lol."

When not traveling coast to coast, Kataluna spends her time designing her gowns. Of course, she has had help with the beading but the concept and fabric, the texture is all her. She even runs a clothing line - Kataluna Kouture. In 2020, she participated in Miss CA USA wearing one of the creations from her couture collection.

"Prelims at #misscausa Gown made my by me @katalunakouture. The gown is inspired by South-East Asia elements. I’ve traveled to Asia twice last year and fell in love with the culture. I learned to embrace my DNA history and wanted to represent the beauty of South East Asia to the world," she wrote on the photo-blogging site.

See more photos of Kataluna here: