Rachel Slawson is a former beauty queen, TED Speaker, and versatile creative known for her skills in brand development, marketing strategy, and social media. She is best known for becoming Miss Utah 2020 and for making history as the first openly bisexual contestant to compete in the Miss USA pageant. Growing up in Utah in a conservative Mormon household, Rachel often struggled with questions of identity and belonging, and turned to pageantry as a teenager.
At the time, she hoped the experience would help her build confidence and find a place where she fit in. However, her first competition ended in disappointment, and Rachel has since shared that losing Miss Utah USA at nineteen led to a suicide attempt — one of the lowest points in her life. In the aftermath, she sought help and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a turning point that gave her a deeper understanding of her mental health and the importance of self-care.
Rachel continued competing in pageants, entering Miss Utah USA five times before finally winning the crown in January 2020.
That same year, she stepped into the spotlight and openly identified as bisexual, becoming the first contestant in Miss USA pageant history to compete while out as bi. For Rachel, coming out was not one single event but a gradual process of allowing herself to be seen fully. In interviews, she explained that she had kept her sexuality private in earlier competitions for fear of rejection, especially in conservative spaces. In interviews, she has said that for the first time she allowed herself “to be fully seen”, both as someone with mental health struggles and as a bisexual woman.
Rachel’s openness about her sexuality and her mental health has become central to her advocacy. She uses her platform to talk about bipolar disorder, suicide prevention, and the importance of acceptance. Her story resonates with people who feel invisible or pressured to hide parts of themselves. She shows that being authentic can be a strength rather than a weakness, even in arenas like pageantry that have often upheld conventional ideals of femininity.
Rachel has worked with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, spoken at the Utah State Capitol in favor of banning conversion therapy, and contributed to organizations including Encircle, LOVELOUD, and ONE-N-TEN.