Can we talk about discrimination in pageantry? It’s not always obvious. Actually, most of the time, it’s not obvious at all. It’s not being directly shamed or bullied. It’s not telling you directly that there’s no way they’ll crown you. It’s the t-shirts for the pageants only going up to a size medium. It’s scoring horribly low in an area for no clear reason. It’s getting scores back and seeing 1 or 2 judges scored you incredibly lower than the others. It’s a hair/makeup team sponsored by the pageant that “doesn’t know how to work with natural hair.” It’s making every contestant participate in a Christian prayer. It’s the photographers not taking pictures of you during the week because they don’t think you have a chance or sources not interviewing you and interviewing everyone else. It’s not being invited to do things with other contestants. It’s backhanded compliments. The list goes on. Pageantry needs to change. There are many organizations that are taking strides forward and setting an incredible example of what pageantry should be. But, there is still discrimination and lack of inclusion in others. Pageantry is for uplifting and empowering women, and this cannot be done without being inclusive.