Kayleigh Bush, Miss North Florida 2025, said she was effectively stripped of her crown after she refused to sign a contract that affirmed the Miss America Organization's new definition of a woman — one that includes transgender women.

"I had no idea that they had changed their definition of female to include individuals who have gone through sex reassignment surgery via vaginoplasty," she said Tuesday on Newsmax's "National Report." "Had I known I would have never competed in this system."

In response to Bush's claims, the Miss America Organization released a statement: "Just to clarify, she did not lose her crown. She retained her crown. She simply did not go forward because she refused to sign the contract every other contestant signed. This was just one of numerous lies by her."

Although she still possesses her crown, Bush argued that the substance behind it was taken away.

"If Miss America really wants to be splitting hairs here, I lost," she said. "I still have the souvenir of the crown. But I lost everything that the crown represents."

Those losses, Bush said, were consequential and included "advancing in the competition," her "rightly earned platform" and her "scholarship."

"So, my question for you is, what would you call that?" she said.

According to Bush, contestants are not asked to sign the contract until after they are named the winner.

"It isn't until after you win the title that you are presented with the contract that includes that false definition of female," she said, calling the move "not only dishonest, but it's not truthful."

Bush said her fight isn't as much about her as it is for other young women in the system.

"The reason that I'm taking a stand today is not for myself, it's for other girls and raising awareness about Miss America now believing and incentivizing that if a boy goes and cuts off his perfectly healthy body parts, can now be a woman," she said. "Does anybody really want a Mr. Miss America?"

Bush said she has received overwhelming support.

"The amount of support that I've gotten has been just tremendous," she said, adding that Liberty Council has taken up her case and "supported me tremendously."

Before going public, Bush said she tried to resolve the issue with the organization privately.

"I privately messaged and talked with and scheduled Zoom meetings with the Miss America Organization, pleading with them to stop," she said.

Bush told Newsmax she wants the pageant to return to its roots.

"I simply just wanted Miss America returned to truth," she said, expressing hope the organization will "get back to empowering women like they have for over 100 years."

• Kayleigh Bush to Newsmax: I Stand for Truth
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