http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119786/Jenna-Talackova-Transgender-beauty-queen-kicked-Miss-Universe-Canada-pageant.html
It's basically about a transgender woman who was disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada pageant because she was not born female. There was a lot of outrage over this naturally, but it was later revealed that she had lied about being born female and only later admitted to having been born male. I think that, despite her dishonesty, this brings into light some more ethical questions regarding what is discrimination and how far should it be taken. After all, it's not like she would necessarily have an edge over the other contestants, at least not in my opinion.
Any thoughts?
Maddie,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I believe that the woman's disqualification is justifiable. Ultimately, she lied to the judges of the competition, and lying is a not a habit that should be condoned in a beauty pagaent. After all, do Canadian citizens want to have the female that represents the quintessential canadian woman be somebody who lies in order to succeed? I think not.
However, I think this article raises an interesting point about males in female competition. In today's society, numerous females have tried to compete in male competitions; however, these females are usually discouraged from doing so. Effective examples include Michelle Wie, a professional golfer, who tried to play on the PGA tour, but met opposition because society deemed her not athletic enough, and Manon Rhéaume, who was the first woman to sign a professional hockey contract, but only appeared in two exhibition games. Throughout society, it seems that certain competitions are associated with femininity and certain competitions are associated with masculinity. Moreover, the idea of crossing these gender boundaries seems impossible. When a female acts masculine, she is derided; when a man acts feminine, he is constantly ridiculed for acting sensitively. This article effectively displays society's desire to uphold a sense of difference between the male and female genders.