Overview
- Miss America says it revised its gender policy in late 2024 and again in 2026 to require contestants be a “naturally born female,” defined as someone born with two X chromosomes.
- The updated rules exclude trans women and allow intersex women to compete only after corrective surgery on nonconforming genitalia, according to the organization’s statements.
- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier alleges the groups misled consumers by advertising women‑only contests while allowing others to enter and he warned of possible enforcement under state law.
- The dispute surfaced after Miss North Florida winner Kayleigh Bush refused to sign older language she believed opened the door to trans entrants, and her lawyers say she was then denied competition access and benefits.
- Miss America’s counsel says Bush kept her title and says the prior wording aimed to stop males from entering, while legal analysts note courts have treated pageants as expressive events that may set eligibility rules.