Bharat Icon USA Beauty Pageant

This message for the people who sponsor and fund this organization. How can an organization claim to help people shine when it cannot show basic respect to the people who support its events? I was a 16-year-old volunteer runway model for a sponsor, not even a contestant in the pageant, yet my experience with Bharath Icon USA was deeply disappointing and upsetting. I am sharing my story to help protect future participants especially MINORS. I experienced VERBAL HARASSMENT, and ABUSE during Show more

This message for the people who sponsor and fund this organization. How can an organization claim to help people shine when it cannot show basic respect to the people who support its events? I was a 16-year-old volunteer runway model for a sponsor, not even a contestant in the pageant, yet my experience with Bharath Icon USA was deeply disappointing and upsetting. I am sharing my story to help protect future participants especially MINORS. I experienced VERBAL HARASSMENT, and ABUSE during this event. As a 16-year-old minor. From the beginning, communication was extremely poor. I repeatedly asked for a schedule because I had another commitment later that evening and needed to know when I would be finished. Despite asking multiple times, I wasn’t given a schedule until after the show had already started. On pageant day, I was told to arrive at 9:00 a.m. with my hair and makeup already done because there would be no hair and makeup for the models. I woke up early and spent hours getting ready, only to arrive and find that none of the directors were there until around 11:00 a.m. They gave us no previous communication. I later learned there were hair and makeup artists available and was asked to remove the makeup I had already spent hours doing. When I continued asking for a schedule, I was told, “This is an Indian event. We don’t know because it’s culturally inappropriate to set a start and finish time.” That is a direct quote from what I was told. Around 1:00 p.m., I was told the show would begin at 3:30 p.m. At 3:30, everyone was rushed into position, but the show didn’t actually begin until around 5:00 p.m. When I asked why, I was told, “The audience is late.” About 15 minutes after the show finally started, we were given a schedule for the first time. I discovered that my portion of the show had been moved much later than I had originally been told. When I asked about it, I was told, “Why are you trying to put words in my mouth?” By approximately 6:45 p.m., I had to leave. I had communicated this scheduling conflict for days beforehand and multiple times. When I spoke with the executive director, she told me, “I’m not the one running the show. Go ask the assistant director.” When I explained the situation to the assistant director, instead of having a conversation, he began yelling/screaming at me in front of contestants, parents, models, and staff backstage. I was told, “You’re ruining everything, you’re disgusting, you’re never going to make it in the industry as a model.” Another organizer then began making personal comments about my appearance. I was called “fat,” “ugly,” and “hideous,” and “dark skinned” they would continually say to me they would tell others in the industry not to work with me. As a 16-year-old, standing there while multiple adults (full grown males) screamed at the top of their lungs at me and insulted my appearance was humiliating. I left in tears and called my parent to come get me. I had never been more terrified my entire life. The only person who showed me kindness that day was the representative from the sponsor I was modeling for. After my parent became involved, the organizers’ attitude changed completely, and I was finally told I could leave. I understand that events can be stressful, but poor organization never justifies speaking to a minor this way. My experience was disorganized, unprofessional, and deeply upsetting. I hope the participants will think twice before risking their safety. I hope sponsors and donors keep in mind the importance of supporting initiatives that truly give a value for humanity. And I hope that no minor would have to hear body shaming, and racist comments about themselves from Bharat Icon USA.Show less