A New York woman has filed a complaint against the Miss America and Miss World beauty pageants, accusing them of discrimination for disqualifying her due to her status as a mother. Danielle Hazel, 25, filed the complaint with the New York City Human Rights Commission after being barred from participating in the pageants because she has a six-year-old son.
"My aspiration to compete in these pageants remains unfulfilled today due to their discriminatory entry criteria, which exclude mothers from participating," Hazel stated. For her legal counsel, Hazel has enlisted Gloria Allred, a California-based attorney renowned for her advocacy in women's rights cases.
"Being a parent or pregnant is not a crime and should not preclude someone from employment or business opportunities," Allred declared during a press conference. Allred criticized the pageants' eligibility rules, which require contestants to be unmarried, childless, not pregnant, and without any legally dependent individuals, as being rooted in the outdated stereotype that women cannot be both mothers and embody beauty, poise, passion, talent, and philanthropy.
Allred further disclosed that she has previously sued the Miss Universe pageant for similar reasons. The realm of US beauty pageants has been fraught with controversy in recent years. In May, the 2023 winners of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA relinquished their titles, citing mental health concerns, following the resignation of an administrator from the pageant's parent organization, who cited a toxic work environment.
Miss America, established in 1921, is the oldest beauty pageant in the United States. Miss USA, founded in 1952, was owned by Donald Trump until 2015, the year he initiated his first presidential campaign.
