Who doesn’t want to be beautiful? But how do you know what kind of beauty to be? Well, you look at the people competing at beauty contests and see what a celebrated group of experts deem the most beautiful, and follow that!
I’m joking, of course, but I personally find the notion of beauty pageants redundant. Their primary goal has always been to put idealized versions of feminine expression on a competitive stage, awarding a ‘royal’ title to the ‘winner.’ Thankfully, nowadays they shed light on important social issues that deserve to be spoken about.
Jessica Gagen was a bright student who loved attending school until she was promoted to secondary school. All she wanted to do was stay home and cry after her bullies made fun of her ginger hair.
Gagen was the only girl in her class with ginger hair, and she recalled not even seeing anyone on TV with such hair. Every day, her classmates would find a new way to make fun of her, which shattered her confidence.
According to Gagen, she was punched, spat at, and even burned because of her red locks after being tormented by cruel classmates.
She was also subjected to name-calling, having things thrown at her head, and was forced to eat her school dinner in the toilets in a bid to escape the abuse. But after being signed up by a modeling agency after her A-Levels, Jessica’s confidence grew as she took to catwalks across the globe.
Now, the 26-year-old Gagen, besides participating in fashion walks and beauty contests, continued her education and is now studying for her master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Liverpool University.
In 2021, Gagen competed for Miss England but lost the crown to Rehema Muthamia by a close margin. However, she won the Miss England crown on October 17, 2022. She said:
“I thought if I could win this, I could empower kids who are being bullied for the way that they look and the color of their hair.”
Gagen’s victory was even more special because it was the first time in 94 years that a redhead had won the crown. Gagen felt very proud of representing ginger-haired individuals and being an inspiration for them. She added:
“For me, by competing in Miss England, my campaign last year and this year is to help people get girls into STEM subjects.”
Gagen also revealed that most girls who participate in such beauty pageants come with a message in their minds that they want to propagate. For Gagen, it was to encourage women to study STEM subjects, and she later realized she was also representing redheads.
Source: AWM