Some residents of Carlie Colella's home state aren't happy with her for making Maryland look like Hairyland by wearing the fur coat she was given as a prize for winning the Miss Maryland pageant. As Colella arrived at the Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown on Sunday for a send-off reception before heading to the Miss America pageant, she was greeted by PETA supporters who were there to remind her that only mean people wear fur.

Perhaps having seen video footage of animals being beaten and skinned alive on the body television that one of the protesters wore, Miss Maryland will prove that she is a beautiful person inside as well as out by donating her fur coat to PETA.

That would, in fact, be a great way to start bringing about world peace.

After coming under the Gunn, the Miss Florida USA pageant will no longer award fur coats to its winners. PETA's 2009 Man of the Year, Tim Gunn, wrote a letter to Grant H. Gravitt Jr., the executive producer of the pageant, explaining that animals killed for their fur are electrocuted, drowned, bludgeoned, or skinned alive and asked him to drop animal skins from the competition. Gravitt apparently agreed that ugly fur has no place in a beauty competition, earning him a thank-you from the Project Runway star.
 

 
There is nothing glamorous about cruelty to animals. It's time for all pageants that still give fur coats as prizes, such as the Miss Maryland pageant, to celebrate the beauty of kindness. Sign PETA's fur-free pledge and be beautiful in your own skin so that animals can keep theirs.  

 
Written by Michelle Sherrow