Miss Iceland quits beauty pageant to protest fat-shaming

Miss Iceland Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir has quit the Miss Grand International contest in Las Vegas to protest the body-shaming from the owner of the event.

According to Jónsdóttir, pageant owner Nawat Itsaragrisil had told her that she was too fat to win the contest and encouraged her to skip meals leading up to the competition.

“I intend to stand up for myself, women everywhere, and the Icelandic people," she said. "I will not let them tell me I am too fat to look good on stage. I have quit. I will not be taking part in Miss Grand International.”

Jónsdóttir told Iceland Monitor that she remained proud of her body.

“Yes, my shoulders are a bit broader than the other girls’ but that is because I was a member of the Icelandic national athletics team and I am proud of that,” she said.

According to the pageant website, the Miss Grand International pageant commits to spread the message of happiness. —JST, GMA News