Bella Bautista, a trailblazing trans beauty pageant contestant, has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Miss Georgia USA competition. She had been set to make history as the first trans woman to compete for the title. Bautista took to Instagram on Monday to announce her departure from the contest. She wrote,“With a heavy heart, I am officially relinquishing my title as Miss Buckhead US 2025. After deep reflection, I have come to the decision that the organization’s affiliations and actions no longer align with my values and my mission for inclusivity and a world free of discrimination.”
Bautista’s exit is seen as connected to Kim Greenwood, president of Greenwood Productions, the organization behind Miss Georgia USA. Greenwood is married to Lee Greenwood, a country singer known for his strong support of Donald Trump. Trump’s recent policies have negatively impacted the rights of transgender people, including restricting military service, banning trans women from female sports, and limiting access to gender-affirming healthcare.
