London
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Grace Richardson, a 20-year-old musical theater scholar, has develop into the first-ever out lesbian winner of the Miss England beauty pageant.
On Thursday, Richardson, who was topped at a ceremony in Wolverhampton, England, on November 21, instructed NCS that it feels “incredibly empowering” to have been named Miss England.
“It’s proved to me that with resilience and determination you really can achieve your dreams,” she stated.
“Knowing that now I have the opportunity to use this platform to make a difference in our world and inspire younger generations, makes me feel stronger than ever,” Richardson added.
The new Miss England revealed that she had thought-about not mentioning her sexuality through the competitors, however she determined to carry it up through the interview that every participant does with the judging panel.
“I was asked about overcoming challenges, the first thing that crossed my mind was my coming out story,” stated Richardson.
“It’s a big part of my past and in that moment I wanted to share with them my development as a person. It’s these stories that make each of us unique so I don’t see any point in hiding them away,” she added.
Richardson hopes that her openness about her sexuality “will inspire more women to use their voice to create positive impact, without living in fear.”
“Sexuality actually has no direct relevance to my role as Miss England, but for me to speak so openly about it means that the idea of a gay woman being in a role like mine will become much more normalised,” she stated.
“I knew that sharing my story publicly would share the message that I am proud of myself and that’s something that was important to me even before embarking on my Miss England journey.”
Richardson will now compete within the Miss World magnificence pageant subsequent yr.