Biological Male Who Identifies as Transgender Files Lawsuit to Compete in All-Female Beauty Pageant

Steve Warren
12-19-2019

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Transgender athletes have disrupted women's sports across the country. Now, a transgender beauty pageant contestant, who's biologically male, is suing pageant organizers after being denied the opportunity to compete in the Miss Oregon pageant because of his sex.

Williamette Week reports Anita Green has filed a lawsuit Dec. 16 in federal court against the United States of America Pageants claiming discrimination and seeking to force the pageant to change its rules along with "unspecified monetary damages" to be determined at trial. 

"This is about giving minorities a voice," Green told the paper. "I believe I'm beautiful, and I want to set an example for all women – cisgender and transgender – that beauty doesn't have to fit into specific molds."

The pageant's website, however, clearly defines its rules – only "natural born female" contestants are permitted. 

The pageant's eligibility requirements also bar any contestant from competing who has posed nude in film or print. In addition, would-be contestants who have given birth are also ineligible.

The pageant organizers list all of the eligibility requirements on their website for the four pageants they sponsor. 

According to Williamette Week, when Green informed the organizers via Facebook messages that he was transgender, Miss Oregon director Tanice Smith responded, "Our rules and regulations allow same-sex marriage, however, this is a natural pageant."

Smith then offered to help Green find another pageant. That's when Green threatened legal action, because "this is clearly discrimination."

The pageant returned Green's $195 entry fee after the exchange.

If Green were to win the suit, it could change the landscape of beauty pageants across the country, argues Willamette Week: 

"If she wins, it could establish a legal precedent for Oregon and 20 other states with similar nondiscrimination laws, requiring pageant organizers to allow transgender people to compete."

Amanda Prestigiacomo writing for The Daily Wire noted: "In other words, you can kiss all-female pageants goodbye."

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of
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