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Miss America, Miss World pageants challenged over rules excluding mothers

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A 25-year-old mother is challenging the rules of the Miss America and Miss World pageants by filing a discrimination lawsuit against them for excluding either some or all mothers from competing. Miss America disqualifies contestants with “legal dependents,” while Miss World bars anyone who is married, has children, or is pregnant.

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Danielle Hazel, a mother of a 6-year-old boy, is leading the charge alongside prominent women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred. They are advocating for the right of mothers to compete in major beauty pageants.

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Hazel expressed her desire to participate in a major pageant and her disappointment upon learning she was disqualified.

“At 19 years old, I had my son Zion, and it was one of the greatest gifts of my entire life. I did not want or plan to give up on my dreams of being part of a pageant and representing my country or my aspirations after I became a mother,” she said.

Hazel is calling for changes to what she describes as outdated rules. Her attorney has labeled the exclusion of mothers as discriminatory.

“We’re seeking an end to the discriminatory requirement of both pageants, which we believe denies and excludes Danielle and other mothers from an important business and cultural opportunity simply because of their status as parents,” the attorney stated.

The Miss World pageant has not responded to media requests for comment. However, an attorney for Miss America has defended its rules. Stuart Moskovitz argues that the regulations are designed to ensure contestants can fully focus on their responsibilities without balancing pageant duties and parenting.

Moskovitz told the New York Post, “The only ban is where it’s necessary to protect the welfare of the child. If you have a legal dependent, you have to take care of the legal dependent. Any woman who puts competing in this contest above the welfare of her child isn’t a Miss America anyway.”

Hazel is not the first to challenge these pageant rules. A mother who was crowned Miss Ukraine in 2018 had her title revoked when the Miss World Organization learned she had a child. She has since founded an organization advocating for rule changes and is supporting Hazel in her fight.

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Karah Rucker

A 25-YEAR-OLD MOTHER IS CHALLENGING THE RULES OF THE MISS AMERICA AND MISS WORLD PAGEANTS –

FILING A DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM FOR EXCLUDING EITHER SOME OR ALL MOTHERS FROM COMPETING.

MISS AMERICA DOESN’T ALLOW CONTESTANTS WITH “LEGAL DEPENDENTS,” WHILE MISS WORLD BARS ANYONE WHO IS MARRIED, HAS CHILDREN, OR IS PREGNANT.

DANIELLE HAZEL – A MOTHER OF A SIX YEAR OLD BOY – ALONGSIDE A PROMINENT WOMEN’S RIGHTS LAWYER GLORIA ALLRED –

ARE FIGHTING FOR A MOTHER’S RIGHT TO COMPETE IN THE BIG TIME BEAUTY PAGEANTS.

HAZEL SAYS SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO COMPETE IN A MAJOR PAGEANT – AND WAS “DEVASTATED” WHEN SHE LEARNED SHE IS DISQUALIFIED.

“AT 19 YEARS OLD, I HAD MY SON ZION, AND IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. I DID NOT WANT OR PLANNED TO GIVE UP ON MY DREAMS OF BEING PART OF A PAGEANT AND REPRESENTING MY COUNTRY OR MY ASPIRATIONS AFTER I BECAME A MOTHER.”

HAZEL SAYS SHE WANTS TO SEE THE RULES CHANGE AND CALLED THEM OUTDATED.

HER ATTORNEY – CALLING THE EXCLUSION OF MOTHERS “DISCRIMINATORY.” 

WE’RE SEEKING AN END TO THE DISCRIMINATORY REQUIREMENT OF BOTH PAGEANTS, WHICH WE BELIEVE DENIES AND EXCLUDES DANIELLE AND OTHER MOTHERS FROM AN IMPORTANT BUSINESS AND CULTURAL OPPORTUNITY SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THEIR STATUS AS PARENTS.”

THE MISS WORLD PAGEANT HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MEDIA REQUESTS FOR COMMENT.

HOWEVER AN ATTORNEY FOR THE MISS AMERICA PAGEANT HAS –

ARGUING ITS RULES ARE IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT CONTESTANTS CAN FULLY FOCUS ON THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND NOT HAVE TO JUGGLE PAGEANT DUTIES WITH PARENTING.

STUART MOSKOVITZ SAYS MISS AMERICA WORKS “365 DAYS A YEAR” AND IS BUSIER THAN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 

IN A STATEMENT TO THE NEW YORK POST –

MOSKOVITZ SAYS 

“THE ONLY BAN IS WHERE IT’S NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE WELFARE OF THE CHILD. IF YOU HAVE A LEGAL DEPENDENT, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE LEGAL DEPENDENT. ANY WOMAN THAT PUTS COMPETING IN THIS CONTEST ABOVE THE WELFARE OF HER CHILD, WELL, SHE’S NOT A MISS AMERICA ANYWAY.”

HAZEL ISN’T THE FIRST TO FIGHT AGAINST THE PAGEANTS RULES BANNING MOTHERS FROM COMPETING.

A MOTHER WHO WAS CROWNED “MISS UKRAINE” IN 2018 – SAYS SHE HAD HER TITLE STRIPPED AWAY WHEN THE “MISS WORLD ORGANIZATION” LEARNED THAT SHE HAD A CHILD.

SHE HAS SINCE CREATED AN ORGANIZATION ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE IN RULES –

AND IS STANDING ALONGSIDE HAZEL IN HER FIGHT AGAINST THE PAGEANTS.

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