Last updated on June 10th, 2024 at 05:31 am
The National American Miss (NAM) Pageant is facing backlash after awarding its “Miss Alabama” title to a 23-year-old woman due to her being obese. Sara Milliken, the crowned winner, voiced her “body positivity message” to Alabama’s WKRG following her victory, causing a stir on social media.
Critics readily pointed out that the actual Miss Alabama title, linked to the Miss America pageant, was already awarded to Diana Westhoven. Meanwhile, Milliken’s honor is associated with a different pageant that some social media users discredit as a “knockoff body positivity pageant.”
In response to the online bullying, Milliken asserted she is in a great mental state and advised cyberbullies to seek help. The controversy comes on the heels of another milestone in the beauty pageant world: Bailey Anne Kennedy, the first transgender competitor, won the Miss Maryland USA title. Kennedy aspires to “open up some doors” and provoke a change in perception towards the LGBT community.