A 25-year-old woman identified as Danielle Hazel has filed a complaint against Miss America and Miss World beauty pageants, accusing them of discriminating against her for being a mother.
Danielle filed her complaint with the New York City Human Rights Commission on Monday after she was disqualified from the pageants for having a six-year-old son.
She said, “My dream of competing in those pageants is still on hold today because of their discriminatory entry requirements, which ban mothers from competing.”
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Hazel choose Gloria Allred, a lawyer from California known for taking on cases involving women’s rights as her legal representation.
“Being pregnant or being a parent is not a crime, and should not exclude an individual from employment or business opportunities,” Allred told reporters at a press conference.
Allred said the pageants’ eligibility rules which stipulate that a contestant must be unmarried, childless, not pregnant and without a legally dependent person are “based upon the antiquated stereotype that women cannot be both a mother and be beautiful, poised, passionate, talented and philanthropic.”
Allred added that she has already sued another beauty pageant, Miss Universe, for similar reasons.
US beauty pageants have been rife with controversy for the past several years.