Eat your heart out, Carrie Prejean.
Mollie Thomas (right) is openly gay and competing in the Miss California USA pageant this weekend. Her tongue-in-cheek constituency? Miss Abbey West Hollywood.
In addition to being a stunner, Mollie’s a humanitarian who’s worked with disabled kids in Mongolia, at an elephant reserve in Thailand and built houses in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
And get this: she’s actually one of two out lesbians in the competition— hair stylist Janelle Hutcherson (left) is representing Long Beach.
Both these woman are pretty bad-ass: Janelle, who’s gonna rock a purple tux for the evening wear competition told the L.A. Times the pageant experience “very well may be the craziest, most insane, life experience i have put myself through yet!”
Mollie says on her website that she entered the competition, a prerequisite to the Miss USA contest, “not only to fulfill some of my own aspirations, but also to be a positive role model and inspiration for the LGBTQ community and for girls everywhere.”
You go, girls.
Photos via Kat Bagley, Janelle Hutcherson
Cashew
May be more accurate to title it “first out lesbian”. I’ve heard of a few stories of national pageant queens coming out decades after, and I doubt Miss Cali USA is any exception.
jason
Positive role model? Puh-lease, Louise, get a grip…on cheese.
What possible positive message could come from a pageant that objectifies women and treats them like cattle on a catwalk? None as far as I’m concerned.
Mike
Don’t they make the Miss California girls get fake hooters before going to Miss USA? Doesn’t sound like Miss Jenelle’s look would be something they’d want to go for if nobody could see their “investments.”
manya
@Cashew: Yup,, that’s why the title says “first out and proud “
Mike UK
@manya: the titles been changed it didn’t say that earlier today.
TASTEY GOODIES
FINALLY! AN ARTICLE ABOUT FEMALE GAYS FROM QUEERTY. HAVEN’T HEARD ANYTHING BOUT MY FELLOW SISTAS IN WHILE. THNX QUEERTY! KEEP THOSE ARTICLES COMING. I JUST HAVE ONE COMPLAINT, THOUGH. CAN U PLEASE HAVE NEWS ABOUT BISEXUALS, TOO? AFTER ALL, B IS PART OF THE GLBT COMMUNITY. LET’S BE INCLUSIVE- NOT EXCLUSIVE TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE RAINBOW.
Mykey
@TASTEY GOODIES: I quite agree, don’t stories on lesbians or bi people make it on queerty? Gorgeous ladies by the way…