First openly lesbian pageant finalist wins big at Ms World International Pageant

Emma-Jay Webber took home the Ms World International Woman title 

BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM (@UK_PAGEANTGIRL) 

Emma-Jay Webber is a forklift truck driver from Bristol and a single mum-of-two. And now she’s also the first openly lesbian finalist of an international pageant! Emma came fourth runner-up at the Ms World International Pageant in Florida and was crowned Ms World International Woman – a title made for a beauty queen who promotes body positivity and diversity. 

Her two children – Maggie and Zack – took an adorable video diary of her journey along the way. 

She shared her excitement with ITV once she had returned home from Florida: “What I’ve done shows that as an LGBTQIA woman, you can follow your dreams and achieve anything.”

“Representation absolutely matters. There needs to be more of it in the world,” she continued. “Pageantry is a platform to get the message out there that women who work in male-dominated industries can be strong and beautiful at the same time. To be there as a finalist is making history in itself. But to actually win it. I don’t think there has been an LGBTQ individual to win any major pageant globally.”

The fact that the competition took place in Florida – where the Don’t Say Gay bill is still being hotly disputed – was not lost on Emma. “If my children went to school in Florida, they would not be able to speak about my own existence as their mother because of the Don’t Say Gay bill,” she told LGBTQ Nation. 

We hope that Emma continues to wave her rainbow flag high at all of her future pageants. 

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