Claire Buffie (born May 15, 1986), is an American

photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs. Duties and types of photographers As in other ...

. As

Miss New York The Miss New York scholarship competition selects the representative for the state of New York in the Miss America scholarship competition. In the fall of 2018, the Miss America Organization terminated the Miss New York organization's license ...

2010, she was the first Miss America contestant to advocate a gay-rights platform at the Miss America 2011 pageant (where she placed in the top 12).

Background

A BSU

Presidential Scholar The United States Presidential Scholars Program is a program of the United States Department of Education. It is described as "one of the Nation's highest honors for students" in the United States of America and the globe. The program was estab ...

and Emens scholar, Buffie earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in visual communications from Ball State University in 2008, with a concentration in photography and a minor in dance performance. During her academic career she received numerous awards and honors. After interning with Lois Greenfield and

Macfadden Publications Macfadden Communications Group is a publisher of business magazines. It has a historical link with a company started in 1898 by Bernarr Macfadden that was one of the largest magazine publishers of the twentieth century. History Macfadden Publ ...

(publisher of ''

Dance Magazine ''Dance Magazine'' is an American trade publication for dance published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as ''The American Dancer''. ''Dance Magazine'' has multiple sister publications, including '' Point ...

'' and ''

Pointe Pointe technique ( ) is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en pointe'' () wh ...

''), she began designing professionally for ''

movmnt ''movmnt'' magazine was an urban-leaning lifestyle magazine which was co-founded in 2006 by David Benaym and Danny Tidwell. The magazine featured columns by Mario Spinetti, Mia Michaels, Robert Battle, Debbie Allen, Alisan Porter, Rasta Thoma ...

'' magazine. She has owned and operated her own photography and design business since 2005. She began working for

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

in 2010. Buffie competed in the

Miss Indiana The Miss Indiana competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Indiana in the Miss America Pageant. Elizabeth Hallal of Georgetown was crowned Miss Indiana 2022 on June 18, 2022 at STAR Bank Performing Arts Cente ...

2008 contest, earning second runner-up to Miss Indiana 2008 winner, Katie Stam ( Miss America 2009), and was a preliminary swimsuit and interview winner. After moving to New York, she competed in

2009 pageant, winning preliminary swimsuit, evening gown and overall interview. The next year, she was crowned Miss Southeast New York, and won the

2010 title with the platform "Straight for Equality: Let's Talk".Michael McGuire, "Claire Buffie crowned Miss New York 2010", Pageant Examiner, June 27, 2010 Buffie is the writer of a children's poem book called ''Babies, Biscuits, Bears, and Seashore Fun'', and an active volunteer in New York's Safe Schools Program, which helps schools reduce bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buffie, Claire Living people 1986 births Miss America 2011 delegates American LGBT rights activists Ball State University alumni American beauty pageant winners 21st-century American photographers American women graphic designers American graphic designers Artists from Indianapolis Artists from New York City American women photographers Miss New York winners Apple Inc. employees American women poets 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American poets American women children's writers