Kataluna Enriquez has opened up on what it means to her that she'll be the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Miss USA pageant.
Driving the news: Enriquez beat 21 other contestants days out from the end of Pride month to become the newly crowned Miss Nevada USA, and she's using the platform to raise awareness for the transgender community ahead of November's national pageant.
What she's saying: "I didn't have the easiest journey in life. It was a struggle for a moment. I struggled with physical and sexual abuse. I struggled with mental health. I didn’t have much growing up. I didn’t have support," Enriquez said, per KVVU-TV.
"But I’m still able to thrive, and I'm still able to survive and become a trailblazer for many."
Enriquez wrote in an Instagram post after being crowned Sunday: "My community, you are always in my heart. My win is our win. We just made history. Happy pride."
