I do not understand the negative feedback and media attention regarding the Salt Lake County commissioners' decision to discontinue funding of the county fair beauty pageant And I am amazed that the criticism has been focused on Commissioner Callaghan for a decision that was made by all three commissioners.
Swimsuit competitions have been controversial for many years on a national level as well as locally. The recent Salt Lake County pageant went beyond the normal swimsuit competition format by having the contestants disrobe and pose before a crowd. Our tax dollars should not be spent promoting this kind of show or competition. If it is truly a scholarship competition, then the swimsuit portion should be eliminated. If it is a beauty pageant, then let's call it such and fund it with private donations.I have seen little attention paid to the clear link this type of competition has with workplace sexual harassment. We demand that young girls disrobe and pose half-naked in sexy poses in front of a crowd just for the chance of winning a scholarship. In a ridiculous number of Salt Lake County businesses, women are still being required to be sexy or sexually available to their employers just to keep their jobs. The practice is illegal and most citizens would cry out against such management behavior, but it continues.
Sexual harassment in the workplace can devastate a victim's career, family life, health and financial stability. It is frightening and demoralizing to be treated like a piece of meat or a sexual toy rather than as a valuable human resource with job skills that are appreciated in the workplace.
Sexuality should not be linked with financial rewards (or economic survival) in the workplace, at school, or in scholarship competitions. I have seen more outrage over the commissioners' decision not to fund this pageant with our tax dollars than over the issue of sexual harassment in Salt Lake County work-places.
I commend the commissioners for their decision and admire Commissioner Callaghan for taking the heat on this important issue.
Julie Davies
Bountiful