Editorial blog: Your entry is one of a kind — who’d you vote for?

Wichitan Gypsy Freeman is absolutely right to complain about winning a contest — then not receiving the winnings — because of a social-media post.

First Amendment, anyone?

Freeman won a national Instagram contest in June conducted by Kat Von D Beauty for her image that represented the Saint + Sinner contest. A prize package worth $2,100 included a trip to Los Angeles to launch a new makeup line.

After being announced the winner, other Instagrammers scoured Freeman’s account and found a pro-Donald Trump post from Election Day.

According to screenshots provided by Freeman, Kat Von D’s account sent Freeman an Instagram message the same day saying she wouldn’t be comfortable associating with anyone who supported Trump.

(Short aside: Notifying someone they’re no longer a contest winner shouldn’t be done by Instagram. Pick up your smartphone and push 10 digits.)

Contest rules, since deleted from the Kat Von D Beauty website but available on a cached version, said the winner would be chosen by 75 percent creativity, 25 adherence to contest rules. No contest rules noted a requirement to refrain from supporting Trump on social media.

Freeman has $2,100 coming to her, though she’ll probably never see it. Kat Von D is guilty of suppressing the same First Amendment rights that she undoubtedly blames Trump for trampling.

This story was originally published July 21, 2017 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Editorial blog: Your entry is one of a kind — who’d you vote for?."