On Nov. 2, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court dismissed a lawsuit by transgender beauty pageant contestant Anita Green, who claimed that limiting the pageant to only "natural-born women" violated Oregon's anti-discrimination law.
Anita Green originally asked pageant national director Tanice Smith to change the rule to allow transgender contestants to compete, but her request was denied along with her pageant application. The activist then filed a lawsuit in an Oregon district court in 2019, hoping the courts would force the change.
“This is about giving voice to minorities.” Green told Williamette Week when the lawsuit was filed in 2019. – I believe that I am beautiful, and I want to set an example for all women, that beauty does not have to fit into specific forms. I felt like I was invalidated. I felt like the organization was telling me I wasn't woman enough." Green said about not being allowed to compete in the beauty pageant.
However, the beauty pageant clearly states that only "women born as women" can enter the competition.
In a 2-1 ruling upholding the lower court's ruling, Judges Lawrence VanDyke and Carlos Bea dismissed the discrimination claim. The panel noted that it is generally accepted that beauty pageants generally serve to express an "ideal idea of femininity."
"The beauty pageant would not be able to celebrate biological women if it was forced to allow Green to participate." - declared the majority judges.
They added that allowing transgender contestants would change the basic message of the beauty pageant.
2022 plus:
Bravo! However, there are also among the American courts, which have not yet lost their minds. And Miss Green assessed her situation accurately: not only could she feel that she wasn't woman enough, but she really wasn't. Not even if it looks like it.
Source: 888.hu
(Cover image: illustration. Source: Europress)
