Danielle Hazel, a New York mother, has filed a human rights complaint against the Miss America and Miss World pageants for discriminatory rules that exclude mothers from participating.
Represented by lawyer Gloria Allred of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, Hazel challenges the longstanding regulations that exclude women with children. Hazel, who had her son at 19, has always dreamed of entering these competitions. She was devastated to learn she was ineligible because of her status as a mother.
During a Sept. 16 news conference in front of the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument in New York City’s Central Park, attorney Allred stated, “Being pregnant or being a parent is not a crime.” She added, “This exclusion is degrading to Danielle as it is based upon the antiquated stereotype that women cannot be both a mother and be beautiful, poised, talented, and philanthropic.”
The Complaint Seeks To End Unfair Rules For Mothers
Hazel’s complaint aims to end what she and Allred see as discriminatory practices. The Miss America pageant requires contestants to have “no legal dependents,” while Miss World mandates participants be “unmarried, have no children, and are not pregnant.”
Stuart Moskovitz, a lawyer for Miss America, defended the rules, arguing that the competition’s demands make it impossible for a mother to fulfill her duties without neglecting her child. He compared the workload of Miss America to being busier than the President of the United States.
However, even the U.S. military allows single mothers to serve, provided they have a “family care plan” in place, but the Miss America pageant does not make such accommodations. Upon Hazel telling her 6-year-old son Zion about the situation, he voiced his disapproval, calling the rules “stupid.”
Allred emphasized the need for change, stating, “We are 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.”
Previously Disqualified Contestant Adds Her Voice
Joining Hazel’s fight is Veronika Didusenko, who won the Miss Ukraine title in 2018 but was disqualified after the Miss World organization learned she had a child. Didusenko has since become an advocate for ending beauty pageant bans on mothers. She shared her experience of being publicly shamed on live television for being a mother.
Attorney Allred has a history of challenging such rules. She previously succeeded in a similar case involving Andrea Quiroga, a California mother denied eligibility to compete in the Miss California pageant. This led to eliminating a 70-year-old rule banning mothers from the competition.
Hazel and Allred hope to see similar success with their current challenge, aiming to pave the way for future mothers to participate in beauty pageants without facing discrimination. As Allred put it, “None of these things change unless we challenge them.”