Former Miss Kentucky comes out: ‘I am queer’
A former Miss Kentucky pageant winner has come out as queer, after a judge in the state struck down a law banning recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages.
Djuan Keila Trent, from Columbus, Georgia, was crowned Miss Kentucky in 2010.
Judge John G Heyburn struck down the law last month, which lead to a backlash from Republicans.
Trent wrote: “You can imagine the conversation that this ruling has sparked amongst Kentuckians – those who support as well as those who oppose. I have listened to people talk about ‘the abomination of our nation’ and ‘Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve’.
“What has prompted my writing today has been my questioning people’s constant assumption that a) I am hetero and b) I concur with their views. I am queer.
“I believe that my sexuality is my own… and this is not kindergarten, so I don’t have to share it with anyone if I don’t want to. But it’s nice when you share, right?
“Thank you for giving me the courage to change my ‘they’ to ‘we’, ‘them’ to ‘us’, and ‘their’ to ‘our.'”
Judge Heyburn issued a final order for the state to recognise same-sex marriages last week.
