The glamour, emotion, and undeniable power of authenticity take center stage in this issue’s exclusive fashion spread, captured during the unforgettable week of the Miss International Queen USA 2026 competition. Held at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, the event brought together some of the nation’s most inspiring transgender women for a dazzling showcase of beauty, resilience, and individuality.

Have you ever just felt a little silly leaving your house? Maybe it was because you were wearing something a tad out of your comfort zone? trying a new makeup trend? or just styling your hair a different way? Me personally? I’ve never felt like that. I take every day by storm, walking like a fool into the mundane and terrifying, decorated with layers of paint, a smile drawn on from ear to ear. But how did we get here? From a young clown simply clocking in for a 9-5 to a micro-niche internet celebrity: honestly, I don’t even know.

Few entertainers have embodied spectacle, resilience, and reinvention quite like Liberace. Born Wladziu Valentino Liberace in 1919, he came of age during the hardships of the Great Depression, using his extraordinary musical talent to help support his family by playing piano for dance classes and even washing dishes to make ends meet. Those humble beginnings would shape a career defined not only by virtuosity but by an unmatched commitment to showmanship.

What do you think of when asked, “What is your community?” It’s often categorized by race, religion, sexual orientation, and other characteristics of shared identity. But community can also mean shared goals, like allies. As someone who has lived with a disability for most of my life, this is how I primarily define my community.