Miss Universe against law

News.com.au reported Canadian Miss Universe Natalie Glebova was forced to take off her official sash at a local festival celebrating Thailand when Toronto authorities invoked a law against sexual stereotyping.

If Canada does not like the Miss Universe contest, why did they select a candidate to represent Canada?

The winner of the international beauty competition held in Bangkok in May, Glebova was to open the festival last weekend sporting her official beauty queen's regalia. However, city employees invoked a regulation against activities which degrade men and women through sexual stereotypes or exploit their bodies to attract attention. Bowing to the local law, the 23 year old blue-eyed brunette was made to remove her Miss Universe sash, though not without complaint. "I definitely don't think that the Miss Universe title is any kind of stereotype or sexual stereotype," said Russian-born Glebova, a graduate of the University of Toronto. Officials of the Miss Universe organisation were also unhappy. "It's a strict reading of the by-laws," Paula Shugart, president of the organisation, said. "According to those conditions, a beauty contest cannot even be held in Toronto", Shugart said.

Arthur Chrenkoff blogged My friends at Powerline will no doubt be outraged at this incident and will want to immediately declare war on Canada, or at least the city of Toronto. Coming soon, courtesy of the Toronto city council: burqas for all women. That will solve the problem of sexual stereotypes and exploitation.

Bingley blogged Amazing, really, that they pass and enforce laws likes this but have the cojones (or whatever the equivalent is for beavers-oops, more 'sexual stereotyping'!) to attack the US for being so eeeevuul? Blech. What do I know. I'm just a stupid redstate guy with a bluestate address.

Mark in Mexico blogged Glebova could still open the festival, organizers were told, but under strict conditions. She couldn't wear her sash or tiara, and couldn't be referred to as either Miss Universe or a beauty queen (no sash or tiara? Does that mean that she could attend naked? That would be cool. I would fly to Toronto to see that). Instead, organizers were told, they could refer to her as "an individual of note contributing to our community." What will our neighbors to the north think of next? So, if I read all this correctly, the city of Toronto, Canada will not permit any activities which degrade men or women through heterosexual stereotyping. Okay, I guess.

Canada allows Gay Marriage, but doesn't allow Miss Universe to wear her sash. It sounds almost as stupid as people insisting that we treat Muslims with courtesy, and revere their Koran, yet every effort is made to remove any governmental acknowledgement of Christianity and its Holy Bible.