This is beautiful.

Down in South Carolina, Ana is living the dream. At the age of 7, she won the Palmetto Princess beauty pageant in Spartanburg. She grew up to be as pretty as you might expect, and now she’s a contestant in the upcoming Miss South Carolina pageant, with hopes of going on to maybe becoming Miss America. In the meantime, she’s taking classes at Spartanburg Community College, and working towards getting a business degree from the University of South Carolina.

But Ana is not your average teenager. Her full name is Analouisa Valencia, and she is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and an African-American mother. And, when she was in ninth-grader, she came out as a lesbian; she went to the prom with her girlfriend Tamyra Bell. She’s also works as a gymnastics coach for Special Olympics, and is an outspoken advocate for the rights of special-needs children.

That’s right, the next Miss South Carolina might just be a gay, bi-racial, immigrant, freedom fighter. Who better to represent a state that bans same-sex marriage, offers no employment, housing or hate-crime protections for LGBT people, and has unconstitutional sodomy laws on its books?

Hoo-boy, this promises to be one ugly beauty pageant. Can you imagine the question-and-answer section? (“Tell us, Analouisa, what are your dreams for the future?”) Analouisa is readying herself for any criticism, and has promised to answer all questions honestly. She said, “I try to be an advocate for equality for everyone and be that positive role model. If I can’t be that role model and be positive and comfortable in what I have to say then I shouldn’t have it as my platform.”

In the meantime, she is taking weekly voice lessons and rehearsing “Footprints in the Sand” which she will perform in the talent competition.

Win or lose, she’s certainly going to make quite an impression.