Backlash grows as male ‘Miss San Francisco’ challenges traditional beauty pageant norms

Monroe Lace via The Bay Area Reporter

In July, a biological male who previously held the title of "Miss San Francisco" is set to participate in the upcoming Miss California Pageant of 2023.

Monroe Lace, a transgender woman, emerged victorious in the Miss San Francisco pageant held in March. This triumph paved the way for Lace, who identifies as a woman, to partake in the Miss California competition scheduled for next month. Making history, Lace became the first transgender individual to claim the title of Miss San Francisco in the event's 99-year history.

“Every time I put on the sash, the weight of it reminds me of the weight of my job; of the responsibility I have to make a difference for young children,” Lace told CBS Bay Area.

Every day, Lace, aged 25, visits various elementary schools, spreading their presence across different locations. A video, featured by the local CBS affiliate, captures Lace engaging with a 4th-grade class at Tenderloin Community School. In the footage, Lace is observed reading "Sparkle Boy," a children's picture book that portrays a boy's desire to don women's attire.

In an interview with KRON 4 back in March, the transgender individual shared that they had been harboring dreams of this nature since the age of 12. They also mentioned having run away from home at that time.

During the Miss USA pageant of 2021, Kataluna Enriquez, a transgender woman, participated as Miss Nevada. Following in those footsteps, Lace aims to become the second transgender man to compete in the national pageant.

Another individual, also identifying as a man, competed in the Miss New Hampshire competition subsequent to being crowned"Miss Greater Derry" in November of last year.

The topic of men participating in women's competitions has emerged as a significant cultural and political debate, leading to GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley referring to it as "the women's issue of our time."

Prominent female athletes such as Riley Gaines and Paula Scanlon have voiced their concerns about the inclusion of men in women's sports, specifically highlighting the case of male swimmer Lia Thomas.

More recently, ESPN commentator Samantha Ponder diverged from her company's conventional viewpoint and expressed her opposition to men participating in women's sports.