Culture

Out in the pageants

Out lesbian vies to become Miss South Carolina and Miss America

By Brandon Matheson • July 8, 2013 5:49 pm EDT

Analouisa Valencia, with her Miss Lyman title crown. Credit: Facebook

Analouisa Valencia is making waves in South Carolina.

Valencia, 20, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, thinks she is the first openly lesbian contestant for the Miss South Carolina pageant and its parent, Miss America.

“This is who I am. People tell me I am the most real pageant contestant they have ever met. I wasn’t open about it last year, and that’s why I think I was so uncomfortable competing,” Valencia told The Augusta Chronicle.

Valencia says she hasn’t had any negative reactions since coming out earlier this year.

Officials from Miss South Carolina and Miss America are standing behind Valencia.

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On a new career adventure, I perform as a Stage Hypnotist (clubs, fundraisers, private shows, etc; www.BrandonTheHypnotist.com), as well as maintain a private practice in downtown Toronto as a Certified Consulting Hypnotist and Hypnotherapist (in short, I use hypnosis to help people overcome everyday problems.) Between August 1993 and January 2016, I worked with Pink Triangle Press (publisher of this website) as Publisher & Editor-in-chief and Director of Publishing. I joined PTP in August 1993 to establish the Ottawa operation and launch (then called) Capital Xtra, later rebranded to Xtra Ottawa. During my 22.5 year tenure with PTP, I lived and worked in Ottawa, Vancouver, and since 2001, Toronto. At some point, I served as Publisher & Editor-in-chief of every print product PTP published.

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