(Photo by Jack Rabold)
ORLANDO | When Hazel E. Devine steps onto the stage at the Miss International Queen USA 2026 pageant in Atlantic City, she won’t just be representing herself; she’ll be representing Orlando, her heritage and the communities that helped shape her journey.
The national competition, taking place on March 26-27 and widely recognized as one of the premier pageants celebrating transgender women in the United States, marks a major step forward for Devine, who was crowned Miss Tampa Pride in 2023, her first pageant win. For the Floridian performer originally from Tampa, the scale of the event alone is thrilling.
“I’ve only ever won one pageant before, but this is on a bigger scale, a bigger stage, with a much bigger audience,” Devine says. “It’s something completely different. I like what Miss International Queen stands for, having a platform and voicing your opinions on something that you are really passionate about.”
Preparing for a pageant of this magnitude has required both emotional and financial investment. Devine says the process can be costly, but she has a strong support system behind her to help her get through it.
“I’m not gonna lie, it’s a lot of money and I kind of already knew going into it,” she shares. “But thankfully, I have great people in my corner. I have a great support system. I have a lot of friends that are giving me grace and helping me throughout this whole process, this whole journey.”
For Devine, the stage is also an opportunity to highlight an often underrepresented part of her Hispanic identity. She is Guatemalan-Salvadorian and plans to let that part of her shine at Miss International Queen.
“I’m very excited to showcase that through my package, especially my national costume,” she says. “I don’t really see a lot of representation with the Guatemalan community or the Salvadoran community, so I want to put that out there as well.”
Representation and advocacy are things that Devine says work in tandem with pageantry performances. She believes contestants with public platforms have a responsibility to speak about national issues, especially those affecting their communities.
“I feel like you have to speak out on issues going on in the world, especially pertaining to trans individuals,” Devine says. “With everything going on with ICE and everything, I feel like we all have a duty to speak up and speak out, especially when we have a good following.”
Devine grew up watching performers like Sasha Colby and local icons who inspired her to step into the spotlight herself. She says she has a deep appreciation for the drag and pageant performers who came before her.
Those mentors and friends, Devine says, have always offered encouragement and advice.
“I love all of them, and they’ve always been so sweet to me,” Devine says. “They’ve always given me the advice and the courage that I needed.”
That sense of community fuels Devine’s larger goal: inspiring others to step into their own potential.
“I want to leave a legacy,” she says. “I want people to watch me up there, and if they’re thinking about doing it, for them to be like, ‘If she can do it, then I can too.’”
Her journey to the pageant stage is also deeply personal. Devine says she carries the memory of her late boyfriend with her as she prepares for the competition.
“I want him to … see me out there and be proud of me,” she notes.
Devine sees competing at Miss International Queen USA as a transformative moment, not just in her pageant career but in her life. She says that this pageant will elevate her drag, proving to the world that she can be taken seriously as a drag performer.
Win or lose, Devine says that even having the opportunity to challenge herself and compete with all of these amazing and talented trans women is rewarding enough already.
For anyone watching Miss International Queen who might still be finding their voice, Devine offers simple advice:
“Live your life and be who you are,” Devine says. “Don’t let anybody discourage you or tell you how you should live your life. It’s your life to live, nobody else’s.”
For more information, follow MIQ-USA on Facebook at Miss International Queen USA and on Instagram at @missinternationalqueenusa. Individual tickets and discounted all-event passes are available at BeTheTransformationalChange.org/Miq-USA-Tickets.
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