There is often controversy surrounding the Miss USA competition and this year is no different.
Miss Universe Organization co-owner Donald Trump says he plans to file a lawsuit against former Miss Pennsylvania USA contestant Sheena Monnin after she accused pageant organizers of fraud — Monnin says the competition was fixed and that she had evidence the top five contestants were selected in advance of Sunday’s show.
“She said some really strong things,” Trump said during an appearance on NBC’s Today show Wednesday morning. “When she’s using the word ‘fraud,’ that’s pretty strong, so we’re going to be suing her on that basis.”
Monnin turned in her Miss Pennsylvania sash and crown Monday, calling the pageant fraudulent, lacking in morals and trashy.
Miss Universe officials said Monnin only recently changed her reasons for the resignation.
"Today she has changed her story by publicly making false accusations claiming that the pageant was fixed, however the contestant she privately sourced as her reference has vehemently refuted her most recent claim," a statement said.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, pageant officials said Monnin really quit because she opposed competing against transgender contestants, who were allowed into the pageant for the first time this year.
Pageant officials released an e-mail message they said they received from Monnin on Monday that read, “I refuse to be part of a pageant system that has so far and so completely removed itself from its foundational principles as to allow and support natural born males to compete in it. This goes against ever (sic) moral fiber of my being.”
In April, the Miss Universe Organization ended a ban on transgender contestants after Canadian Jenna Talackova, who was born male, faced disqualification from the pageant.
So what do you think about transgender contestants competing in Miss Universe Organization pageants? Should they be allowed to compete or should the competitions be open only to natural born women?
In reality people like Jenna Talackova are born with what is also called a congenital neurological intersex condition. It isn't simply someone randomly deciding to "cut parts off." She has a brain that looks like and responds like any other female. Her body does not match. (And again you have no idea what her DNA looks like.) Her transition to being Jenna brings her body in line with her brain. It corrects a medical condition. Barring people from a beauty pageant over a medical condition is callous at best.
We all start out as female in the womb. Many people are born with birth defects or diseases like harelips, MS, diabetes, cleft-palates, hearts on the OUTSIDE of the body etc. People have no problem accepting these things because they can actually SEE them. So why is it so hard for people to understand that sometimes when a fetus develops into a 'male' form that the brain may NOT continue to develop (or fully develop) from female into male form? Because people CAN'T SEE that difference! Please take the time to educate yourself on a subject before you JUDGE someone based on what you THINK you know! And for those who think it's 'all about chromosomes' read this article to see why it's NOT: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/such+thing+natural+born+woman/6649556/story.html#ixzz1vR6ArX3P