After making the bold decision of removing the swimsuit segment from their pageant to support women empowerment, Miss America Organization has ended in hot water due to a move completely the opposite of women empowerment.
During a skit that the emcee of the Miss Massachusetts pageant was performing a skit with someone posing as ‘god.’ "Miss American did away with the swimsuit competition," the emcee says. "We may have very well seen the last ever swimsuit competition on stage. It's very upsetting and I'm trying to understand, God, why it happened."
"Me too, Amy," replied the man playing the character of ‘god’ while holding a #MeToo sign.
Maude Gorman, 24, who was the reigning Miss Plymouth County could not believe what she was seeing and found it disrespecting and mocking to the victims of sexual assault.
(Photo Credist: Maude Gorman Instagram Official)
"To see this happen, to hear this back stage, my gut dropped. I was heartbroken," she told as section of the media. "It was making fun of sexual assault survivors and their courage to come forward and that is despicable."
“It was heartbreaking to hear. In that moment, everything collapsed right in front of me,” Gorman added. She even wrote an official confirmation of the incident, and her resignation on Instagram.
She wrote:
Today, I officially resigned from the title of Miss Plymouth County 2018. While I’m grateful for the opportunities that @missamerica creates for young women, I am also internally conflicted; as the #metoo movement was mocked on stage during the final competition of Miss Massachusetts. As both a survivor, and advocate for victims rights and sexual violence on a whole, I refuse to stand idly by and simply “let this go”. Instead, I will stand up for every individual who has ever had the courage to speak out; and for every person who felt liberated by the #metoo movement. I will not allow ANYONE to take away that empowerment and liberation, or make it anything less than what it is: AMAZING. #metoo #missplymouthcounty #nomore #rainn #surviveandthrive
The Miss Massachusetts MAO posted an official apology on their Facebook account, which read:
The Miss Massachusetts Board of Directors offers our sincere and heartfelt apology for those offended by Saturday night’s skit. The skit was not in the script and was not authorized by the board. Moving forward, we will review all content with future emcees and other participants prior to our show to be sure offensive or potentially offensive content is not allowed. We are proud of our contestants and even prouder to be part of an organization that celebrates what makes all of them truly extraordinary.
What do you think? Harmless joke, or insensitive mockery?