We live in a world where things seem to be getting more and more acceptable and inclusive. Unfortunately, there are also many times when we still revert back to the old days and thoughts.
This came to light recently when a woman named Sara Milliken became the Miss Alabama for the National American Miss pageant. She was everything that she needed to be in order to win the crown because she was beautiful and graceful.
There was an issue that many people took up when the 23-year-old competed for the crown, however, and that is the fact that she is a plus-size woman. It wasn’t long before the trolls were coming out online and they were brutal.
It all started when she made the decision to go after the crown in the first place.
“National American Miss is known for sending open call letters in the mail and I got that eight years ago and I was like, ‘I really want to compete. I want to do this,’” Milliken said. “I actually went to an open call here in Mobile and had no idea at the time that one day I would win the crown of Miss Alabama and get to compete at nationals.”
When she actually won the crown, she couldn’t have been happier but unfortunately, the comments came in fast and furious. Although those comments were going after her looks, some even called her an ‘unhealthy embarrassment.’
One thing that Milliken is interested in is body positivity. Even though there were plenty of critics out there, she continues to do what she can to make a difference.
She said: “Even text typed on a screen can leave a lasting impression on people. That can lead people to do some very dark things to themselves, even though I’m not at that point.”
Some people said that it was inappropriate for her to be part of a beauty competition. There were others who said she looked like a mascot for a fast food restaurant.
Despite what others were saying, plenty of people were there to support her and to reinforce the fact that she was beautiful. In the end, she said that she would not allow the criticism to stop her from having her moment in the sun.
We wish her much success in the future.