Biracial Lesbian Vying for Miss South Carolina Crown: Analouisa Valencia breaks all the pageant stereotypes

She's articulate, mixed-race, and proudly, openly gay.

BY NEAL BROVERMAN

¨It's some kind of miracle how comfortable Analouisa Valencia — a lesbian African-American/Latina beauty queen — is in her skin. Currently Miss Lyman, S.C., Valencia travels to the state capitol in July to compete in the Miss South Carolina contest and, hopefully, advance to the Miss America pageant. Valencia isn't coming out per se, because the 19-year-old college student has been out for years; she took her girlfriend, Tamyra Bell, to her prom and attended Bell's. But Valencia is ready to tell the world her story and remains optimistic the judges in Columbia will see her like so many already do: as a role model. The teen was candid in a recent interview with The Advocate, talking excitedly about her future and the women who inspire her...¨  

Thanks to The Advocate, sidebar

http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/people/2013/04/05/biracial-lesbian-vying-miss-south-carolina-crown