Speak Out

Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

Miss America 2003, Erika Harold, was being pressured to not speak out on abstinence as a spokeswoman for Project Reality, a nonprofit group that pioneered abstinence-centered health-education programs in Illinois public schools since the mid-1980s. Erika had advocated and promoted sexual abstinence for years, but when she became Miss America and told pageant officials that she planned to talk about chastity, they told her not to.^a

Sandy Rios, former president of Concerned Women for America, shared her opinion on the issue with the press: “In an age where beauty queens are regularly disqualified for inappropriate behavior, who would have thought a virtuous one would be silenced for her virtue?”^b

Erika, who credits God with giving her the courage to speak out, even before the U.S. Congress, says, “I was fortunate enough to be raised by two loving parents who encouraged me to set high standards, to value myself and to save sex for marriage. But I grew up knowing that I was lucky and that not every young person had the love and support that I did. I saw many of my peers use sex to try to find that love and acceptance. But instead of being able to fill that void, many of them became teen parents, contracted diseases, and had their hearts broken.”^c

Erika is clear and bold in expressing the message God has laid on her heart: “As a role model, I will encourage young people to abstain from drugs, sex, and alcohol, and explain how this commitment helped me to protect, respect, and define myself.”^d

What issue has God asked you to speak on, write about, make phone calls for, or lobby for? Every woman, not just Miss America, should have a platform she cares about!