Meet Miss USA: Rhode Island's Olivia Culpo
Olivia Culpo
Twenty-year-old cellist Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island took home the Miss USA crown Sunday evening.
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Culpo, the daughter of two musicians and a sophomore at Boston University, stood out from the competition after the interview round, during which she was faced with a question regarding transgender pageant queens. In a Miss USA first, the question actually came from Twitter: "Would you feel it would be fair that a transgender woman wins the Miss USA title over a natural-born woman?"
"I do think that that would be fair," Culpo responded. "But I can understand that people would be a little apprehensive to take that road because there is a tradition of natural-born women, but today where there are so many surgeries and so many people out there who have a need to change for a happier life, I do accept that because I believe it's a free country."
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Bravo's Andy Cohen and E!'s Giuliana Rancic hosted the competition. The judge's panel consisted Chef Cat Cora, Arsenio Hall, Joe Jonas and reality star Rob Kardashian.
Culpo will now go on to represent the United States at the 61st Miss Universe pageant in December.
Do you think Miss Rhode Island is a deserving winner?