Kayleigh Bush, crowned Miss North Florida 2025 in August, was stripped of her title in November after refusing to sign a Miss America Organization (MAO) contract that defines “female” to include males who have undergone sex reassignment surgery.
According to Bush and her attorneys, the new contract language conflicted with her religious beliefs and Florida law. The requirement states that contestants must be “female” and defines that term as an individual who has fully completed “sex reassignment surgery via vaginoplasty,” with notarized medical documentation from the surgeon. No other gender-affirming procedures are considered sufficient under the contract.
Objections Raised
Bush requested removal of the definitional language before signing, citing her belief that sex is immutable and her concern that the definition incentivizes medical procedures for boys as young as 14, the minimum age for certain pageants. When the Miss Florida Scholarship Program and the MAO refused her request, Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit legal organization, sent a demand letter on her behalf.
The letter argued that the contract’s definition of “female” was “false” and contrary to Florida’s statutory definition of sex, which classifies individuals as “male or female” based on chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy at birth. It also pointed out that Florida law prohibits sterilization or castration of minors under the guise of gender transition.
Legal and Political Context
Liberty Counsel further argued that Bush had initially entered into an oral agreement upon winning her title and that the contract introduced “un-bargained-for and novel” terms after the fact. The group maintained that under Florida law, contracts violating state statutes or public policy are void.
In April 2025, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memorandum condemning the use of puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries on minors, describing the practices as harmful and unsupported by science. The memo aligned with a federal executive order signed earlier that year by former President Donald Trump, which withdrew federal funding for such treatments and directed agencies to enforce protections for minors.
Liberty Counsel’s Position
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver commended Bush for refusing to sign the contract. He said the definition of “female” put forward by the Miss America Organization represents an “abandonment of reality” and urged that Bush’s crown be restored.
Both the Miss Florida Scholarship Program and the Miss America Organization have twice rejected Liberty Counsel’s requests to revise the contract language.
