Anaheim’s Treatment of Deaf Pageant Contestant

The topic of Dianne Klein’s article (View, April 2) may seem lightweight at first. How important can it be that some of the rules for the Miss Anaheim Scholarship Pageant contestants may be unfair? It’s only a beauty pageant. Or is it?

The winner of the Miss Anaheim pageant becomes, for a year, the official hostess for Anaheim. She appears at many functions on behalf of the city and its businesses where she is expected to present a pleasing, photogenic appearance while effectively communicating with various dignitaries and community leaders.

Since it is important for Miss Anaheim to communicate effectively, why did pageant officials deny the deaf contestant a tool she needed to do so? The reason reported for denying the use of a sign-language interpreter was that it might constitute an unfair advantage. That reason seems as silly as not permitting the use of contact lenses.

What pageant officials seem to be implying in the quoted remarks about “competing on as equal footing with hearing girls” or else entering Special Olympic-type contests is that deaf persons are welcome to compete as long as they can “pass” for hearing persons.

Perhaps pageant officials fear that business and community leaders would be uncomfortable with a Miss Anaheim who used an interpreter. However, Lynn Lochrie’s sponsor, Western Medical Center considered her to be an attractive and capable representative for their company. Perhaps they are aware that it could be a great benefit to other business and community leaders and to the public to have an opportunity to become acquainted with and begin to feel comfortable around a person who can do anything but hear.

The sooner businesses and companies that sponsor the Miss Anaheim and Miss America and Miss America pageants find the courage to let pageant officials and judges know that rules that discriminate against contestants who can do anything but hear (or see or walk or whatever) will not be tolerated, the sooner these pageants can be taken seriously by the public.

Let’s speak up against prejudiced judging of contestants for what they can’t do and insist on recognizing, appreciating and rewarding contestants (and all people) for the talents and abilities God gave them.

Thank you, Dianne Klein, for your thought-provoking article on a topic that isn’t lightweight after all!

Virginia Neal,

Fullerton