Miss USA Tackles Beauty Pageant Stereotypes
Miss USA Deshauna Barber is sick and tired of the stereotypes people have about beauty pageants.
In an interview with People on Thursday, the D.C. beauty queen opened up about the "harsh criticism" she and her fellow pageant contestants are constantly being subjected to, as well as the assumptions often made about women competing for a crown.
"In pageantry, there are the stereotypes that women are airheads or that they’re not educated," she told People. "By winning the Miss USA pageant, I was really able to show that a lot of women have so many backgrounds. We’re all so very unique and diverse so I’m so excited that I’m able to represent that, especially as a woman in the military.”
Deshauna went on to express how important it is to her that she use her time as Miss USA to fight back against this negativity, and prove the naysayers wrong by showing that diversity is beautiful.
"I try to stay as positive as possible and accept the fact that women - we come in all shapes, and sizes, and colors, and I’m glad I’m able to represent that," she said.
Deshauna’s words feel especially significant given Donald Trump’s recently resurfaced attacks on former Miss Universe Alicia Machado. In an interview last month, Alicia told Cosmopolitan.com that she spent years battling eating disorders after the Republican nominee shamed her for gaining weight after winning the crown, and that she’s "never been the same person" since.
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