Don’t hold Miss Universe pageant here

There is a petition circulating online addressed to the “Miss Universe Organizing Committee,” appealing to the members to reconsider their announced decision to hold the pageant in Manila early next year.

Last I checked, some 30 petitioners—women and men—have signed the appeal and organizers are continuing to solicit signatures (using #Everywoman). Here’s the full text of the petition:

“We understand that you already have concerns over issues of political instability and security, and with the Philippines not yet paying the hosting fee for the event. We, however, believe there is a more fundamental reason why you should not hold the event in the Philippines.

“This reason is the objectionable, scandalous, and demeaning sexist attitude demonstrated by the newly elected leaders of our country, by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte, and his cohorts towards womankind. Filipino society has always granted a great amount of freedom and respect to women, but at the same time the gains of womankind in the Philippines have been hard won. True gender equality in terms not only of the law but how laws are applied, and in terms of the attitudes of men towards women, still has a long way to go.

“In recent months, chauvinism, brutal shaming, rape jokes and a sweeping disregard for women as persons deserving not merely of a token, but true, respect has been exhibited by the President of the Philippines with his salacious and sexist comments and treatment of female reporters and opposition figures, which has carried over to his allies in the Philippine Congress.

“To hold the Miss Universe Pageant in Manila at this time would serve as a reward of this intolerable behavior and excuse such behavior. It would reinforce a troubling trend in our society. It would make your organization a partner to these backward and dangerous steps.

“Do not hold Miss Universe in Manila. Be a partner for the liberation and not the subjugation of women. Take your pageant elsewhere and do not reward a regime that is trying to turn back the clock as far as women’s causes are concerned.”

Signatories include former government officials, academics, civil society leaders, businessmen and women, students, even overseas Filipino workers.

All of them are concerned about sending the wrong message to the Duterte administration, on the treatment of women under the 100-day-old regime. It would indeed be like telling them that all the shaming, slamming, denigrating, and debasing women during the campaign and after Mr. Duterte’s ascension to power are acceptable.

To hold the Miss Universe pageant here at this time is to open the organizers to accusations that it pays mere lip service to messages of empowerment and equality that the Miss Universe organization—after it bought the franchise from the execrable Donald Trump—has touted as one of the principal goals of the contest. It justifies, it seems, pitting women from around the world against each other to earn the title of “the most beautiful woman in the world.”

That the current title-holder, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, is a Filipino who has so far done a creditable job of representing her country and her people before the world makes the holding of the pageant here at this time, all the more objectionable. It would negate all the gains of Pia’s victory, and would be seen as rewarding the misogyny and crudity displayed by our national leaders.

The Miss Universe organization is still reeling from Trump’s crude remarks against former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, the winner in the first pageant held under his ownership. During the first US presidential debate, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton recalled that Machado became the subject of much public abuse from Trump when she began putting on weight years after her reign. He called her “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping” because she was a Latina. In his remarks, The Donald managed to offend Hispanic women and blue-collar women—and all other women as well.

I wonder: If the pageant is held here, will Du-dirty manage to outdo Trump in all his “glory”?