Miss California Shot Down Gay Marriage During Miss USA Pageant
During Sunday night's pageant, Perez asked Miss California, "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" Miss California responded with,
"In my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it [sic] should be between a man and a woman."
Miss California's retort was met with a mixture of applause and boos.
Perez gracefully bit his tongue during the event, but afterwards, he quickly posted a video blog to tell the world his true feelings. Granted, towards the beginning of the video he called her a "dumb bitch," but as the video went on, his criticism of Miss California became more constructive. Perez gave an example of a more acceptable answer that should have come from someone who is against gay marriage.
"That's a very hot topic in our country right now, and I think that it is a question that each state should decide for themselves, because that's how our forefathers designed our government."
Perez wasn't trying to put words into her mouth. He was trying to explain, in his own peppered way, that her answer reeked of bigotry and closed-mindedness, and was in no way uniting. There were better, more sensitive ways of answering the question. Miss USA is supposed to be a representative of our entire nation, and her answer showed her true colors.
While I completely disagree with Carrie Prejean's stance on gay marriage, she stood up for what she believed in, and didn't say what she thought the people in the audience, or Perez, wanted to hear. That says something about her character. Unfortunately, her opinion about gay marriage said more. One can only hope that her opinion was her own, and not a mindless rant channeled from mom and dad.
A statement from Keith Lewis, the Executive Director of the Miss California pageant was released with a personal message to Perez and anyone who was offended by Carrie's statement.
"As co-executive director of Miss CA USA and one of the leaders of the Miss CA family, I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss CA USA 2009 believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman. Although I believe all religions should be able to ordain what unions they see fit, I do not believe our government should be able to discriminate against anyone. Religious beliefs have no place in politics in the Miss CA family."
Carrie certainly didn't do California any favors yesterday. First proposition 8 passes, and now this. The conservatives have taken over a state that once led the way for gay rights, and it's a shame.
Miss California, Carrie Prejean lost out to Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton. It's unclear whether her answer officially had anything to do with her loss.
Sources:
(Original comment from Miss California) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XMvviFbkf0
(Backlash from Perez Hiltion) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI1u6bZ39YE
http://beat.bodoglife.com/entertainment/miss-usa-winner-kristen-dalton-upstaged-by-miss-californias-homophobia-77625.html
Published by Alicia White
Alicia is a former air traffic controller who lived in Japan for several years. She's currently a freelance writer in California, and a full-time student majoring in digital media/graphic design. View profile
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10 Comments
Post a CommentComments made by Alicia White are predictable & raise nothing significantly new. Homos&lesbians are group based on sexual behavior & while they don't choose orientation, they do choose their sex lives. If science eventually finds a cure for homosexuality & if the only sexual behavior left is between a man & woman, then that's fine with me. Most homosexual groups oppose repair therapy to treat homosexuality but think it's Ok to surgically maim a man to make him an artificial woman. They must abolish sex changes & they must cure GID, not mutilate people to make them what they're not. Sex changes sadly happen because science knows how to do it. Ironically it's even OK to be hostile to straight sex (hence bisexuality).
She's not a bigot. Unfortunately, religious beliefs are coming under fire in America. She is old enough to think for herself. Those who would decry her and say that she's just spewing out the party line taught by her parents have a lot of nerve. It is a parent's job to form their child, teach them right from wrong. Most people, whether religious or not, tend to follow the 10 Commandments. You don't have many parents teaching their kid that it is not wrong to steal or commit murder? She was asked her opinion, and imo, she was baited by the Perez, who is gay. He suggested she spin it. He himself does not subscribe to gay marriage as a state's rights issue if you look back to what he's said on the matter. He was simply incensed that she didn't give the answer he wanted to hear and yes, I do think it cost her the crown.
I have to laugh out loud at the hypocrisy of the author of this article.
You want bigotry? Try having your family exposed to these alternative wingnuts like Perez Hilton every day and you'll see some bigotry. Am I the only one who finds irony in Hilton calling Miss California a female dog? Where's the outrage over that?
C'mon you overgrown preschoolers, grow up and get a life. In America you can shag and live in domestic partnership with your pet tree if you want, what more do you want? It is YOU that is pushing YOUR beliefs and lifestyles over on everyone else!
Congrats for Miss California having the guts to stand up for what she believes in, I'm proud of California after all...
Congratulations to Miss California. She speaks for the majority of people, whether they say it or not. I agree with her and I'm not afraid to say it.
i think marriage also should be for a man and a woman, you preferences are yours only we go by the way we think and how we was raised now everyone have their own believes and religion and she was just giving her opinion.
Also, it's sad how many people out there simply believe in something because "that's how they grew up." It's called thinking for yourself.
What a gross specimen. It's a shame that people are still so blatantly ignorant.
What's REALLY ridiculous is that bigotry is STILL alive and well in this nation of ours. Carrie Prejean is just the latest in a long line of bigots who would deny people their basic civil rights simply because they dislike someone's race, beliefs, or sexual orientation.
I should also add that someone who represents the USA abroad should also be someone who is intelligent, literate, and who can speak the language fluently. Clearly Ms. Carrie Airhead is incapable of doing so. I'm sure that there were many reasons that she lost, and that these were only two of them. Thank God we don't have a bigoted illiterate moron representing this country!
All unions should become Civil Unions; if individual Churches want to hold "marriage" ceremonies, that's their right.
Memo to the so-called "God Squad": You don't have the first idea what Jesus actually taught, or you wouldn't be acting the way you are.
Interesting, thanks
It is just very sad to know what the American society has become. Each citizen has its own take on this sensitive issue and if we are going to make a big deal out of her answer, then the issue is so sensitive enough not to be used as an "interview" question. I think the one who is dumb is the one who formulated the question.