Discussion of social justice and women’s rights might not necessarily be what first comes to mind when we think of a stereotypical beauty pageant. But something glorious happened earlier this week at this year’s Miss America competition, when Miss Tennessee Hannah Robison was asked about controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood.
Host Vanessa Williams asked the 21-year-old: “Some legislators are threatening to shut down the government over federal contributions to Planned Parenthood, even though no federal funds can be used for abortions. Should Planned Parenthood funding be cut off?” Robison responded: “I don’t think Planned Parenthood funding should be cut off. The $500 million that gets given to Planned Parenthood every single year goes to female…care. It goes for scanning for cancers, it goes for mammograms…and if we don’t give that funding to Planned Parenthood, those women will be out of health care for reproductive causes.” Totally nailed it—without going over the 20-second time limit for answering questions, might we add.
More and more women are taking mainstream platforms and using their voices to address important issues, which is the crucial first step in effecting actual change. Robison is right—without Planned Parenthood, many women would have nowhere else to turn to for proper healthcare for financial reasons, and that’s why it shouldn’t ever be defunded. Even though she didn’t go on to win the Miss America crown (the title went to Miss Georgia), we applaud Robison for crushing the stereotype that beauty queens are shallow–she’s always been smart and socially conscious as she is talented and beautiful. It’s just a matter of more and more people needing to hear stories like these and being prompted to look past appearances.