Miss America, Miss World pageants challenged over rules excluding mothers

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.

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.

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Hazel is calling for changes to what she describes as outdated rules.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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