Erin O'Flaherty

Erin O'Flaherty is an American beauty pageant titleholder who held the title of Miss Missouri in the Miss America 2017 pageant. She is the first openly lesbian contestant to compete in Miss America.

Pageants In 2013, she was crowned Miss University of Central Florida. While there, she was an ambassador for Children's Miracle Network. She took a couple years off from pageant competition, however, she wanted to compete before she surpassed the age eligibility. In 2016, she was crowned Miss Missouri in the Miss America pageant. Also in 2016, she became the first openly lesbian contestant to compete in Miss America. As an advocate for suicide prevention, she works with The Trevor Project, a hotline for LGBT youth, and The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Her talent is a vocal performance. O'Flaherty came out as gay when she was 18, while attending the University of Central Florida.

She attended the University of Central Florida, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She enjoys world traveling, kayaking to see wildlife in Wekiwa Springs, and playing soccer. She also enjoys singing, which contributes to her talent in pageants.