Djuan Keila Trent is a former Miss America pageant contestant from Columbus, Georgia who was crowned Miss Kentucky in 2010.
And, as the 27-year-old beauty queen revealed in a blog post, she identifies as queer:
“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,” she wrote.
Opening up about her sexuality was not an easy choice for Trent, who struggled with the decision of coming out for many years.
In her blog post titled "Turning They Into We," she shares a bit of her own personal experiences:
"I could write about what it was like to come out to my mom for the third and final time at the age of 26 (the first time was when I was in the 4th grade and the second time was in college). I could write about the years I spent praying to a God whom I wanted so badly to serve with all of my heart, but couldn't understand why this God made me "wrong". I could write about all the times that people have asked me if I have a boyfriend and I've purposely chosen to just say "no" with no further explanation."
Her statement was also in direct response to Kentucky's court ruling against the state’s ban on same-sex marriage last month.
Trent stressed in her writing that she doesn't believe coming out is something everyone should be forced to do.
She would love to live in a world where coming out is not necessary, but knows that is "more of an ideal than it is a reality."
She ended her entry by thanking everyone who gave her the courage to come out: "You have given me the courage to speak up and speak out when I forget my "QUEER" stamp in the mornings."
