A Queen On a Mission!!

I know this is outright shameless self-promotion, but I want to take a moment to introduce myself to the Feministing community. My name is Jordan and I am the reigning Miss Illinois Beauties 2009. I am a feminist, a passionate supporter of women’s rights, and a long-time fan of this blog and the issues discussed here. I am eager to begin working on networking myself and promoting my platform issues throughout my home state of Illinois and across the country. As a feminist who is also a pageant queen, I am well aware of the negative view many women have of beauty pageants and beauty queens. We are often portrayed as dumb, pretty girls who are just pawns in bikini parades created by men. However, the world of pageantry has come a long way in the last decade or so, and we are no longer just pretty faces & hot bodies. We are women on a mission, each with our own personal message to spread and our own voice to be heard. One of my missions as Miss Illinois is to fight for the equality and reproductive freedom of women everywhere.
I am also aware that very few pageant queens, if any, have ever pursued a platform on women’s issues pertaining to reproductive freedom, abortion, and comprehensive sex-education for our youth. The few pageant queens who have touched on these subjects in the past, such as Miss America 2002, almost always talk about abstinence-until-marriage only, because the subjects of sex, abortion, and birth control are still viewed as “inappropriate”. I disagree. These are important, everyday issues that are vital to women and girls’ health, and someone needs to talk openly and frankly about them. And if no one else is going to, then I will gladly take up the cause! If we pageant queens are expected to make a difference in the world, then we need to become less conservative and begin opening up about uncomfortable issues such as sex-education, abortion, and reproductive rights. I’m not shy about donning my crown & sash and talking frankly about birth control, comprehensive sex-education, and abortion. Like millions of other women in this country, I was faced with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy at age 21 and had an abortion. I am probably the only pageant queen to ever admit something like that. There is no longer room to be ashamed of this, the time has come when women like myself NEED to speak out about our experiences so that we can eventually dismantle the stigma and shame that still surrounds the subject of abortion. And as a pageant queen, I will gladly take up the torch and lead the way for other women to do the same. When I took on the job of being Miss Illinois, I didn’t do so just to wear a pretty crown on my head. I chose to do this because I wanted to be a leader that other women could look up to. I feel strongly about these issues, and I knew that having the status and title of a pageant queen would give me a wide venue through with to meet important people and get the word out about this important cause.
I am currently working on contacting the National Organization for women at the state and national level, the Feminist Majority Foundation, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Ms. Magazine to offer my support in our tireless battle for equality and reproductive freedom. As a state pageant queen (and hopefully someday a NATIONAL pageant queen), I would be honored to be a public symbol for these causes.
Sincerely,
Jordan Barnstable
Miss Illinois Beauties 2009