Alicia Roache, Entertainment Coordinator 
Miss Jamaica World 2006, Sara Lawrence. -Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
It has taken 23 years for Sara Lawrence to earn the dubious honour of being the first Miss Jamaica World winner to be dethroned.
From all accounts, it has been a year of accomplishments for Lawrence, who won the coveted Miss Jamaica World title and was voted favourite in the public ?Pick the Winner? competition.
She went on to the Miss World pageant where she placed 6th, and earned the title of Miss World Caribbean Queen of Beauty. She has had a very public campaign of her work with children affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS.
Being a 'first' always has special significance, but Ms. Lawrence?s first lady title, dubious as it is, is one of a string of other public falls from grace of beauty pageant winners in recent times.
That Jamaica has joined the fray is no surprise. After all, Jamaica and Jamaicans have earned a reputation for taking part in every new trend. Good or bad.
unfavourable reactions
It is true that beauty pageant winners and title holders are judged by a different set of rules, rules that many feminists and liberals would argue, are restrictive and unrealistic.
Many say this is hypocritical,and following Ms. Lawrence?s announcement, there has unfavourable reactions to pageants, many people commenting on the hypocrisy of the pageant itself and her actions.
Rules of the Miss Jamaica World pageant stipulate that contestants should be a person whose background is not likely to bring into disrepute the Miss Jamaica Beauty Pageant or Miss World title or the promoter or any other person associated with them; shall be a person who has never been legally married; who has never given birth to a child
Miss USA
But there are signs that the tiaras are a bit 'heavy'.
The most scandalous example in recent times is that of Miss USA, Tara Conner.
Conner, 20 at the time, was caught drinking in numerous New York nightclubs, engaging in an open-mouth kiss with the reigning Miss Teen USA, and being involved in flings with some of ?Manhattan?s most eligible bachelors?, according to published reports.
An expertly worded statement, and visits to various media houses to personally deliver said statement is a brilliant pre-emptive strike which, like Conner?s, garnered massive support. But there are also those who do not regard her actions as particularly impressive.
'harm the tradition'
In his statement to the public, organiser of the Miss Jamaica World pageant, Mickey Haugton-James, described Ms. Lawrence's actions as being able to potentially harm the tradition that is the Miss Jamaica World pageant and its past and future winner.
The Sunday Gleaner asked that he explain that statement.
Corporate companies prefer to avoid controversies and are wary of associating with events and/or celebrities that are unpredictable or controversial. Also, parents are protective of their children and will want them to avoid activities that could lead to them being held up to public scrutiny in a negative way. This incident highlights that risk, Mr. Haughton-James said.
Ms. Lawrence?s role as spokesperson on HIV/AIDS presents at least a very troublesome issue if she is perceived to be engaging in unprotected sex, as a pregnancy would suggest.
Ashley Harder, Miss New Jersey USA, handed in her tiara in January 2007, when it was discovered that she was pregnant. As Harder noted then, ?This isn?t a scandal. This is a baby.
We all know what we get ourselves into. You know the rules of the competition, whether you can live up to that only you can say,? said Raquel Wright, Miss Jamaica Universe 2005.
In November 2006, Miss Great Britain, Danielle Lloyd, was stripped of her title after admitting that she had been dating one of the pageant judges before her victory.
In February 2007, a beauty pageant in Spain disqualified its winner two weeks after she won her crown when it was discovered that she was a mother of a three-year-old boy. Angela Bustillo, 22, Miss Cantabria, planned to sue the organisers because she thought the rules were ?absurd?.
Standards
Tonoya Toyloy, Miss Jamaica World 2004, says the rules are not absurd or outdated.
The standards are in place for a reason,? she said.
I think the Miss Jamaica World (rules) should stay as is. But if you want a pageant that speaks to the wider society then you can have a pageant for that.
These girls are quite young, some of them 17 years old when they enter the competition. You will not expect them to be having any children, and remember, they are role models to young girls.
The rules are not bad. They are rules you would have for your own daughter,? she said.
In 2005, Miss Teen Bahamas, Gari McDonald, was stripped of her title because she admitted to being a lesbian. She claimed discrimination after she was stripped. She also announced plans to sue.
While there has been no such announcement here, there is no indication that the pageant rules are to be updated?.
Ttoday's values'
Kingsley Cooper, Pulse CEO and organiser of the Miss Jamaica Universe pageant, is one supporter of updating the rules of beauty pageants to reflect today?s values.
I believe she (Sara) acted sensibly, and this development is likely to create greater recognition of the fact that these pageants have changed, or should change, to reflect the times. While a pregnant Miss Jamaica might not be appropriate for several reasons, it might be that a young mother should be allowed to be a beauty queen,? he said.
However, Mr. Haughton-James, organiser of the Miss Jamaica World pageant, told The Sunday Gleaner ?I do not believe that any changes are necessary.
Increased counselling
He did say, however, that future pageant winners would receive increased counselling.
Miss World 1976, Cindy Breakespeare met public ire when she got pregnant for a married Bob Marley and later gave birth to son Damian. It is no surprise then that Miss Breakspeare has come out in support of Ms. Lawrence, who, like herself, chose to have a child.
?What it is is just ill-timed, because you cannot become a mother while you have a title of that sort,? she said.
I wasn't a 'Miss' anything when I had Damian,? Breakespeare told The Sunday Gleaner when she was contacted on Wednesday, shortly after the announcement.
By the time I had my child all my ?Miss? days, all that was behind me. However, I did make a decision to have a child out of wedlock. But I feel that these are different times that we are living in,? Breakespeare said.
If she has taken a decision to become a mother, then it?s up to her. But it?s just that it happened at a time when she has previous obligations. If it was next year this time, nobody would care.
Has the tiara lost its lustre? Raquel Wright believes it could do with a bit of shine.
It's a positive vehicle,? she said of pageants. I'm just disappointed at this. It?s attracting negative energy to beauty pageants, she said.
I think there are a few people who take the crown seriously. You are somebody who is a role model.
It's important to look at our past queens who were all strong, inspirational, intelligent beauty queens who did us proud ? women who took this position and took it seriously and contributed to the country,? Raquel said.
For local organisers, the rules are clear, and they are clearly broken.
