Miss Maryland contestants said they were shocked to realize they had been changing and using the restroom “in the same space as a biological man” after discovering they had competed against a male after he was crowned Miss Maryland USA.
Speaking to the Daily Signal, several women who competed in the recent Miss Maryland contest said they were “disgusted” and called the competition “rigged” after a trans-identifying male who goes by the name Bailey Anne Kennedy won the competition on the first day of Pride month.
On June 1, the trans-identifying male was crowned Miss Maryland USA, a competition that promises a “fair environment in which young women have the opportunity to develop skills that will help them win in life by being their personal best in everything they do,” the outlet noted.
“I first realized I competed with a biological man a few days after the competition,” contestant Elizabeth McCarthy said. “I saw it on the Miss Maryland USA Instagram post. At first, I was shocked. I felt sick to my stomach and was so upset for the other women in the top five. I was disgusted and disappointed that the pageant coordinators allowed women to undress in front of a man without any disclosure.”
EXCLUSIVE: Miss Maryland USA crowned a man who identifies as a woman on the first day of Pride Month.
Until now, the contestants had not spoken up. But there was widespread frustration.
Now these women speak to @DailySignal: https://t.co/7Zc9xua9Pc
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) June 26, 2024
“I feel Kennedy won this competition because it was set up,” she added. “What are the odds that a trans-identifying individual wins the Miss Maryland USA title on the first day of Pride Month? I feel that men are taking over everything that women worked so hard for.”
Another contestant told the outlet, “I felt lied to. I would’ve liked to know ahead of time, as I was subject to change, utilize the bathroom, and be in the same space as a biological man … it surely seemed like the organization and Bailey was trying to hide this fact until it was convenient to them.”
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A third contestant said the fact that a trans-identifying male won the crown on the 1st day of Pride Month shows the “competition was rigged.”
“There isn’t a doubt in my mind that it was not,” the contestant said. “For example, I think in previous years, the pageant secured different judges … I think they were changed. In addition, the staff were not respectful nor pleasant. I completely understand that this is a pageant and it is fast paced, but there is a certain respect that individuals should provide, especially since we are all grown women who can take direction and listen.”
“I believe it is disheartening to have so many women pay for coaches, hair and makeup, and find sponsors when they already knew who they were going to select,” she added.
Kennedy will now compete for the title of Miss USA in Los Angeles in August, a competition that is part of the Miss Universe pageant, which is now owned by a trans-identifying male.
