Miss Rhode Island Nails Transgender Question, Is Crowned Miss USA

Her name is Olivia Culpo, she’s 20 years old, and has made the Dean’s List every semester at Boston University, where she’s a sophomore.

1. Watch Miss Rhode Island answer a question about transgender beauty pageant contestants.

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QRfOsfnJmms.

What really clinched the win for Olivia was probably her answer about whether transgender pageant contestants should be allowed to compete and win. She said, “I do think that that would be fair, 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.” Watch her and the other four finalists answer their questions in the video.

2. The top five competitors…

The top five contestants were:
1. Miss Rhode Island
2. Miss Maryland
3. Miss Ohio
4. Miss Nevada
5. Miss Georgia

Image by Julie Jacobson / AP

3. See Miss Rhode Island in her swimsuit.

According to her bio, Olivia “began studying the cello and went on to participate in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, RI Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, Bay View Orchestra and Rhode Island All-State Orchestra. As a cellist, Olivia won a seat in the Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and a tour of England in 2010.” Impressive! However, she did not get to play her cello for the telecast of this pageant. Instead she wore makeup and this bathing suit and some dresses and sashayed back and forth a whole lot.

Image by Julie Jacobson / AP

4. Watch Miss Rhode Island play the cello!

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=iI8xQL0NTm0.

She’s quite talented!

5. And here she is looking hot again…

Image by Darren Decker / AP

6. And again!

Image by David Becker / Getty Images

7. This is her “glam shot.”

Each of the 51 contestants got to take one of these “Garden of the Gods”-inspired photos.

Source: cdn.missuniverse.com

8. And this is her with what I have to assume is her “Glam Cello.”

Source: cdn.missuniverse.com

9. And here she is as a baby, wearing a macaroni necklace.

Aw. She really upgraded that paper hat.

Source: cdn.missuniverse.com

10. And here she is with her latest, greatest accessory.

Congrats, Olivia.

Image by Julie Jacobson / AP