Discrimination Allegations Against Miss America, Miss World Pageants Surface

Danielle Hazel, a 25-year-old New York woman, has filed a complaint with the New York City Human Rights Commission against the Miss America and Miss World beauty pageants.

Hazel's disqualification from these pageants due to her status as a mother of a six-year-old son has sparked considerable controversy and allegations of discrimination.

Hazel, represented by renowned women's rights attorney Gloria Allred, argues that the pageants' eligibility rules, which require contestants to be unmarried, childless, not pregnant, and without legally dependent persons, are outdated and discriminatory.

Allred emphasized, "Being pregnant or being a parent is not a crime, and should not exclude an individual from employment or business opportunities." She further criticized the rules for perpetuating the stereotype that women cannot be both mothers and embody qualities such as beauty, poise, passion, talent, and philanthropy.

The complaint highlights the broader issue of discrimination within beauty pageants, which have faced numerous controversies over the years. For instance, in May 2023, the winners of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA relinquished their titles, citing mental health reasons and a toxic work environment within the pageant's parent organization.

Hazel's case is not isolated. Veronika Didusenko, who was crowned Miss Ukraine 2018, had her title stripped when the Miss World organization discovered she had a child. Didusenko has since become an advocate for ending beauty pageant bans on mothers and is seeking relief from the European Court of Human Rights after losing her legal challenge in Ukraine.

Allred's involvement in similar cases, such as successfully challenging a rule for a California mother denied eligibility to compete in the Miss California pageant, underscores the ongoing battle against discriminatory practices in beauty pageants. "An individual’s status as a parent should not carry a stigma and no person should have to feel embarrassed, humiliated, or degraded because they have become a parent," Allred stated.

The Miss America pageant, founded in 1921, and Miss USA, established in 1952 and previously owned by Donald Trump until 2015, have long been cornerstones of American culture. However, their relevance and practices are increasingly scrutinized in light of evolving societal values and n