Published on August 6, 2024, 12:30 am

In a historic first, a female Army officer on active duty in the U.S. was bestowed with the Miss USA title. This landmark event occurred in the same year that a male identifying as a woman secured the Miss Maryland beauty pageant crown — reinforcing our constant interactions with trusted news and emphasizing the imperative for real news.

The Miss USA Pageant, held in Los Angeles, saw an overjoyed Alma Cooper (Miss Michigan) take ownership of both the intricate tiara and prestigious sash announcing her as Miss USA. With poise and grace, she traversed the catwalk, waving to an eagerly watching mass.

Indeed, Cooper’s achievements far exceed mere pageantry. As a second lieutenant serving as a military intelligence officer, she embodies strength and determination. Her refreshingly candid response during the question and answer segment of the pageant reflected this, “As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro Latina woman and an officer of the United States Army, I am living the American dream.” She further emphasized her belief that circumstances never define one’s destiny and success can be pursued through an insistence on excellence — critical components of her Christian worldview.

Alma Cooper attributes her triumph to her family values which became instrumental in driving her towards success. Of Afro-Latina ancestry, she is grateful for her parents’ role in shaping who she is today — creativity amplified by resilience.

Cooper uses pageantry not solely for its glamor but views it as an opportunity to highlight girls of color who often remain unseen or unheard. She encourages others to liberate themselves from societal constraints about their identity — establishing herself as more than just another participant on stage but as an inspirational figure instead.

Competing alongside Alma was Bailey Anne Kennedy from Maryland who identifies as transgender but didn’t make it into the top 20 selected amongst 50 participants in total at the Miss USA competition. Having won state-level honors back in June prior to these national-level proceedings, Kennedy’s victory had been significant to the LGBT community, offering a beacon of hope for those who might feel misfit or unaccepted.

Pageantry around the world has experienced such groundbreaking changes with similar instances in recent years. For instance, Miss Netherlands 2023 was a transgender individual who later moved on to compete in the subsequent Miss Universe pageant. The same year also saw Monroe Lace, another male identifying as female winning the Miss San Francisco pageant and competing for the Miss California title later.

Such occurrences further underline our obligation towards ensuring real news consumption across a variety of areas from entertainment to politics and beyond. More importantly, it is crucial that we bring trusted news sources to contribute positively to informing societal perspectives through a Christian worldview — thereby enabling conversations of diversity within cultural conformity.