PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon transgender woman is suing Miss USA pageants, saying its rule that limits competition to “natural born female” is a form of gender discrimination.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Anita Green of Clackamas, Oregon, holds the title of 2019 Miss Earth Elite Oregon and competed in the 2018 Miss Montana contest. She applied to participate in the Miss United States of America pageant last year but her application was rejected.

This policy is discriminatory because it denied her the full and equal advantages and privileges of the defendant’s services in violation of Oregon’s public accommodations law, the lawsuit says.

The suit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon.

Though the Nevada-based pageant is a private business, the suit contends that the way it operates requires it to follow Oregon public accommodation law.

The suit asks a judge to order Miss United State of America pageants to end its alleged discriminatory policy and remove its restriction that prevents transgender candidates from competing.

Messages left for the Nevada-based United States of America pageant weren’t immediately returned.

Green was the first openly transgender contestant in the Miss Montana USA pageant and the third openly transgender contestant ever to compete in a Miss Universe pageant program.