REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - The Miss Delaware USA competition is on Sunday, and one contestant has hopes of becoming the first ever queer Miss Delaware USA. Kelly Smith, also known as Kari Snow, is Miss Rehoboth Beach USA 2021 and identifies as bisexual/pansexual.
"My pageant platform is love without limits. which is basically promoting that your life should not be limited based on who you love," said Smith. Kelly told WRDE she always loved pageantry, and watching Miss USA and Miss Universe, but "I never saw any beauty queens like me especially in that system, and it made me feel a little left out, and made me feel like something I could never do. Then I thought since we aren't getting this representation why not be the person to step up and bring it," she said. Last year, Miss Utah 2020 was the first LGBTQ+ woman to compete in Miss USA. "My goal is that that representation doesn't die just there, and every year we still keep getting that representation, because we all deserve to have someone we can relate to at those pageants," smith said. If Kelly were to hold the title of Miss Delaware USA, she would be the second queer-woman in the Miss USA organization, and the first openly gay Miss Delaware USA. "I think one of the biggest accomplishments already it’s just to stand on that stage and for so long when I first started doing pageants I was like 'make sure you closet yourself, don’t let anyone know, make sure nothing is on social media.' Now I’m just loud and proud like 'Hey I’m bi! I’m gay!' And this is why it’s so important that I share that with you, and why we keep pushing my platform, which is helping a community of people just like me," said Smith. The Miss Delaware USA Pageant is on Sunday, June 27 at 1 p.m.