Trans Contestant Steps Down From Miss Georgia USA Pageant
Bella Bautista would have been the first openly transgender woman to compete in Miss Georgia USA.
Bella Bautista, a 22-year-old transgender woman who previously held the title of Miss Buckhead USA 2025, has stepped down from the Miss Georgia USA Pageant while simultaneously relinquishing her title.
Bautista would have made history by being the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Miss Georgia USA competition. The decision to give up her title and step down as a contestant in the Miss Georgia USA competition was incredibly difficult, and made with “a heavy heart,” she wrote on Instagram. Bautista said she joined the pageant in hopes of breaking barriers and providing representation for transgender women, but ultimately could not participate due to a misalignment of her personal values with the organization’s affiliations and actions.
“This decision was not easy, especially knowing how many people were excited to see me take the stage at Miss Georgia USA,” she wrote. “I entered this competition to show that transgender women belong, that we are deserving of space, celebration, and the chance to pursue our dreams–nothing about that has changed.” \
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In an interview with Teen Vogue Thursday, Bautista spoke out about Miss Georgia USA pageant’s producer, Kim Greenwood, who is a supporter of President Trump. Bautista was asked if this played a part in her decision, to which she responded, “Yes. After I signed up, I started seeing posts on her page where she was posting lots of things supporting Trump.” She elaborated, “As the first transgender person to be in the contest, especially in Georgia, a very conservative state, I didn’t know how I was going to be. Going into this space, unfortunately I knew that I was going to be labeled as the trans contestant. I wanted, more than anything, to be judged fairly … I had concerns regarding the judging and overall scoring.”
Bautista wrote in the caption of her post, “I’m heartbroken that this chapter is ending this way, but I promise you—this journey is far from over. I have so much more to fight for, so much more to accomplish, and I can’t wait to announce my next history-making participation soon. Stay tuned.”
