“A little over a year ago, I sat in bed and watched Miss USA,” Smith said in an emotional Instagram post.
Enriquez, a model who represented Nevada at the competition, transitioned from male to female at 14 after battling thoughts of suicide.
“Don’t let your differences determine what you’re capable of.
She further told the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “One thing that is important for me is inclusivity, diversity and representation.
I’m trying to put my foot down and overcome it, and I know some people aren’t as lucky as I am,” she added.
Event organizers are scrambling, however, after one Miss Universe contestant tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in the Middle Eastern nation.