Massachusetts beauty queen drops out of race after host mocks #MeToo movement

'As both a survivor, and advocate for victims’ rights and sexual violence on a whole, I refuse to stand idly by and simply 'let this go,' says Maude Gorman

A beauty queen relinquished her title and dropped out of the Miss Massachusetts pageant after a skit was performed which mocked the #MeToo movement.

Maude Gorman said the compere performed a sketch on stage poking fun at the movement against sexual harassment and assault.

Someone playing "God" who was asked by the host why swimsuit competitions are no longer an element of pageants. The God character then held up a sign reading "Me Too".

Explaining that she was gang raped when she was 13-years-old, Ms Gorman, the reigning Miss Plymouth County said in an Instagram post, that she could not overlook the matter, that she was resigning from the role.

"While I'm grateful for the opportunities that Miss America creates for young women, I am also internally conflicted; as the #metoo movement was mocked on stage during the final competition of Miss Massachusetts." she wrote.

“As both a survivor, and advocate for victims’ rights and sexual violence on a whole, I refuse to stand idly by and simply 'let this go.'"

The 24-year-old who also won the 2015 Miss Massachusetts World title, said in a separate interview with CNN she kept the gang rape by three men a secret for three years, as she suffered nightly from PTSD, could not sleep and found school a struggle.

Last month the Miss America organisation announced it would stop the swimsuit competition and no longer judge competitors' based on their physical appearance.

Gretchen Carlson, the 1989 Miss America winner and first former contestant to sit on the pageant’s board of trustees, said: “We are no longer a pageant. We are a competition.”

Contestants no longer have to take part in the evening-gown competition and will be allowed to display the personal style that makes them feel the most at ease and confident in the Miss America role.

The Miss Massachusetts organisation apologised for the skit and said the board had not approved it.

In post on its Facebook page, it said its board of directors offered their "sincere and heartfelt apology for those offended", adding: "The skit was not in the script and was not authorised by the board. Moving forward, we will review all content with future emcees and other participants prior to our show to be sure offensive or potentially offensive content is not allowed."

The #MeToo movement rose to prominence last October after a series of sexual misconduct allegations were made against powerful men in both Hollywood and a number of other industries.

The hashtag allowed to share their own stories of sexual misconduct and denounce such acts.

The movement sparked the downfall of dozens of powerful men and triggered organisations like the Screen Actors Guild to make changes to its policies on harassment.