Pageant officials try to silence Miss America 2003's abstinence advocacy

Washington Times ^ | October 9, 2002 | George Archibald

[Stop Legal Plunder]

Miss America 2003, Erika Harold, yesterday said pageant officials have ordered her not to talk publicly about sexual abstinence, a cause she has advocated to teenage girls in Illinois. Top Stories

     "Quite frankly, and I'm not going to be specific, there are pressures from some sides to not promote [abstinence]," the 22-year-old woman from Urbana, Ill., told The Washington Times.

     In her first visit to Washington since winning the crown Sept. 21, Miss Harold resisted efforts by Miss America officials to silence her pro-chastity opinions.       "I will not be bullied," Miss Harold said yesterday at the National Press Club, as officials tried to prevent reporters from asking questions about her abstinence message.

[Stop Legal Plunder]

Do I hear weeping and gnashing of teeth from the leftist pageant judges?

[ladtx]

Never thought I would see the day when Miss America would be told not to be wholesome. (walking away shaking head)

[aruanan]

"Quite frankly, and I'm not going to be specific, there are pressures from some sides to not promote [abstinence]," the 22-year-old woman from Urbana, Ill., told The Washington Times.

I hope she names names and, if the people in question were fools enough to put it in writing, displays letters or email.

[NC Conservative]

Backlash from the awful Clinton years. The motto, Do what feels good, not what is right.

[aruanan]

George Bauer, interim chief executive officer of the Miss America organization, and other pageant officials had sternly directed her to talk only about the issue of youth-violence prevention and to say nothing about sexual abstinence, said Miss Harold's acquaintance, who asked not to be named.

Now, see, if you had just posted the entire article, I wouldn't have written what I did in the previous post. This is from the Washington Times not the Washington Post.

[Stop Legal Plunder]

Miss Harold needs the support of Freepers at her public appearances. If throngs of fans (especially teenage girls) cheer her every appearance and vocally thank her for her abstinence message the pageantcrats won't be able to do much. After all, in America today, celebrity trumps everything else.

[tamu]

buy that woman a beer! it takes real guts to stand up to the powers that be and hit'em between the eyes after you have been shoved.

but seriously, guys, we need a pic!

[TC Rider]

First they pressure the first Miss NC out of the pageant for allowing a boyfriend to take pictures of her boobies and now this.

They really want it both ways.

A pure and chaste Miss America.

But, don't dwell on it.

[sharktrager]

I applaud her stance on chastity, but to say she will "not be bullied" is a joke at this point.

She made the decision to change the platform she won the state crown on from chastity to youth violence. If she was so serious about the chastity issue, she should have made that her platform instead of changing it so she could win.

[Stop Legal Plunder]

I applaud her stance on chastity, but to say she will "not be bullied" is a joke at this point.

She made the decision to change the platform she won the state crown on from chastity to youth violence. If she was so serious about the chastity issue, she should have made that her platform instead of changing it so she could win.

I disagree. Miss Harold is one sly gal. She operated in stealth mode until she won the crown. Then she came out. Now she's turning the pageantcrats' own anti-violence message against them by raising the charge off being bullied by them. Masterful.

[Brandon]

She made the decision to change the platform she won the state crown on from chastity to youth violence. If she was so serious about the chastity issue, she should have made that her platform instead of changing it so she could win.

Perhaps you should read the entire article. It says the Illinois pageant organization changed her platform -- it wasn't her idea at all.

[yendu bwam]

Shame, shame, shame on these people. The woman is brave and courageous to take a stand that helps kids and goes foursqaure against the overwhelming promotion of promiscuity in our society. She is a heroine.

[MEGoody]

She may have changed the platform, but that does not mean it is the only issue she can voice an opinion on.

[goldstategop]

A politically correct pageant. Now if Miss America 2003 were advocating abortion on demand, I have a feeling pageant officials would cheer her on.

[batter]

Who are the Miss America sponsors? It may be time to freep them regarding this matter.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Actual title: Miss America silenced

[I still care]

She is going to be an attorney, and is very interested in politics. Do we see a future Condeleeza in the making?

[sharktrager]

I did read the article. For her to call this bullying, when she went along with it once before, is ridiculous.

[batter]

Here's their main e-mail address for starters:
info@missamerica.org

[Stop Legal Plunder]

I don't know how to post a picture on Free Republic, but here's a link to a good one for someone else to post directly: http://www.missamerica.org/competition/national.asp?state=Illinois