A New York single mother’s pageant dreams found her filing suit against Miss America alleging the “discriminatory requirement” that kept her from competing was part of an “antiquated stereotype.”
(Video Credit: AP News)
Diverging from the all-too-common instances of women contending with men trying to compete alongside them, a September complaint was filed on behalf of a pageant hopeful proven to do one thing no man could. Submitted to the New York City Commission on Human Rights on Sept. 16, Danielle Hazel challenged Miss America’s rule prohibiting contestants with “legal dependents.”
“When I told Zion, who is now 6 years old, about these rules, he had an immediate gut reaction. He said that these rules are stupid,” the 25-year-old said during a press conference alongside her attorney Gloria Allred, and dethroned Miss Ukraine 2018 Veronika Didusenko. “His sense of fairness at only 6 years old tells him that this is unjust and makes no sense.”
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Hazel expressed, “When I first learned about it, I just was really disappointed.”
“And it was unexpected for me. I didn’t really know that that was a rule. So, it was really shocking to find out,” she said arguing that motherhood didn’t prevent women from career success and victory in the competition would result in a job. “So, if you’re a mom, it’s not an obstacle that’s in the way. It shouldn’t be an obstacle.”
Allred echoed the sentiments when she told the outlet in part, “…now to block them from a business opportunity, which is what these pageants are — as well as a social opportunity, economic opportunity — to exclude them simply because of an old stereotype that mothers have to be home with children is wrong.”
However, while the attorney had won a previous case with the California Civil Rights Department that resulted in Miss Universe doing away with their 70-year-old rule about mothers competing, a statement from Miss America refuted the allegations and explained how their rule was meant to protect children.
“There is no ban against mothers. The only ban is against potential contestants with legal dependents,” noted a representative. “In other words, if you are responsible for the daily welfare of the child, that welfare must take precedence over wishing to compete in the contest. The rule has nothing to do with any attack on motherhood. It is solely to protect the welfare of minors dependent on their legal guardians.”
Elaborating that a mother could have given her child up for adoption and still compete whereas someone who had adopted a child could not, the statement argued, “Essentially, the complaint filed with the NYC Human Rights Commission is a false document filed with a government agency.”
As Allred’s representation of Didusenko roped in the rules of Miss World which had taken away the competitor’s crown after they learned she had a child, Miss America made clear to indicate that the organizations were not connected.
Meanwhile, Hazel acknowledged the potential of failure in the suit and told Fox News Digital, “Sometimes it only takes one person. I wanted to be able to at least have some kind of impact, even if it wasn’t going to be successful. I wanted to at least show that I tried.”
“On a societal level, I feel like there has been a lot of — I guess it is a stigma against moms but not all moms. I mean, specifically, if you’re a single mom, there’s even a bigger stigma, because then there’s this idea that somehow you’re less than…somehow you’re not as worthy,” she argued. “Even though you are powerful, and you are capable, you’re still kind of seen as your value is less. I don’t understand that.”
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