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usc
politics
Miss California & The Gay Rights Thought Police
OMG! Miss California is a social conservative!
Last night, the Miss USA pageant was held -- unbeknownst to me, since all I know about pageants is what I've seen in Little Miss Sunshine. Near the end of the pageant, celebrity judge Perez Hilton was tasked with asking one question of then-frontrunner Miss California Carrie Prejean. He decided to lob a question about one of the most politically controversial issues of our time; Prejean's response may have cost her the title:
Hilton: "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit, why or why not?"
Prejean: "Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, 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 should be between a man and a woman. Thank you very much."
Now, most politicians don't like answering that divisive question in front of a split audience, and typically squirm while doing so. For Prejean to have the courage to (even somewhat inarticulately) frame the issue as a state-by-state choice while acknowledging her honest personal beliefs, I think, shows a lot of strength and reflects well on her character.
But the beauty pageant judges were aghast at Prejeans' lack of political correctness, and retribution was swift.
"I think it did lose her the crown," Hilton said today on MSNBC. On a webcast posted late Sunday night, he ranted against Prejean, saying, "She lost not because she doesn't believe in gay marriage; she lost because she's a dumb b****."
More from Hilton: "... [T]hat is not the kind of woman I want to be Miss USA. There's a difference between running for president and being a beauty queen.
"A president is affiliated with a political party, that political party has ideologies, they are in favor with or against. A beauty queen, a beauty pageant queen, Miss USA, should represent all Americans. And with her answer, she instantly was divisive and alienated millions of gays and lesbians, their family, their friends, and supporters."
I have a much simpler answer: Why not avoid the hot-button issue during a beauty pageant in the first place? By asking that provocative question, Hilton was giving Miss California an ultimatum: answer correctly, or risk the crown.
Hilton claims no political bias, saying, "I was not upset or frustrated with her disagreeing with me about gay marriage. I was just upset and frustrated with how she answered the question."
Um, that's essentially the same thing.
Regardless of one's personal views on the issue, and whether we agree or disagree with Prejean's opinion, it's extremely troubling to see someone answer a question honestly -- articulating a viewpoint consistent with roughly half of the voters in her home state -- only to be punished by those who disagree.
It is hypocritical to fight for freedom of speech and freedom of expression if one has no tolerance for those with opposing views, and I am deeply concerned by the gay rights movement's overall decision post-Prop 8 to begin blacklisting political opponents out of anger and vengefulness.
Let's cut out the litmus test, and leave politics in the political arena.
Last night, the Miss USA pageant was held -- unbeknownst to me, since all I know about pageants is what I've seen in Little Miss Sunshine. Near the end of the pageant, celebrity judge Perez Hilton was tasked with asking one question of then-frontrunner Miss California Carrie Prejean. He decided to lob a question about one of the most politically controversial issues of our time; Prejean's response may have cost her the title:
Hilton: "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit, why or why not?"
Prejean: "Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, 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 should be between a man and a woman. Thank you very much."
Now, most politicians don't like answering that divisive question in front of a split audience, and typically squirm while doing so. For Prejean to have the courage to (even somewhat inarticulately) frame the issue as a state-by-state choice while acknowledging her honest personal beliefs, I think, shows a lot of strength and reflects well on her character.
But the beauty pageant judges were aghast at Prejeans' lack of political correctness, and retribution was swift.
"I think it did lose her the crown," Hilton said today on MSNBC. On a webcast posted late Sunday night, he ranted against Prejean, saying, "She lost not because she doesn't believe in gay marriage; she lost because she's a dumb b****."
More from Hilton: "... [T]hat is not the kind of woman I want to be Miss USA. There's a difference between running for president and being a beauty queen.
"A president is affiliated with a political party, that political party has ideologies, they are in favor with or against. A beauty queen, a beauty pageant queen, Miss USA, should represent all Americans. And with her answer, she instantly was divisive and alienated millions of gays and lesbians, their family, their friends, and supporters."
I have a much simpler answer: Why not avoid the hot-button issue during a beauty pageant in the first place? By asking that provocative question, Hilton was giving Miss California an ultimatum: answer correctly, or risk the crown.
Hilton claims no political bias, saying, "I was not upset or frustrated with her disagreeing with me about gay marriage. I was just upset and frustrated with how she answered the question."
Um, that's essentially the same thing.
Regardless of one's personal views on the issue, and whether we agree or disagree with Prejean's opinion, it's extremely troubling to see someone answer a question honestly -- articulating a viewpoint consistent with roughly half of the voters in her home state -- only to be punished by those who disagree.
It is hypocritical to fight for freedom of speech and freedom of expression if one has no tolerance for those with opposing views, and I am deeply concerned by the gay rights movement's overall decision post-Prop 8 to begin blacklisting political opponents out of anger and vengefulness.
Let's cut out the litmus test, and leave politics in the political arena.
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Teacher
9:18AM 9:18AM Apr 21st 2009
She answers honestly without putting ANYONE down and Perez calls her a dumb bitch? She's supposed to lie, then? Perez is being the bitch here. Come to think of it, that's how he makes his living.
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mounich
9:31PM 9:31PM Apr 23rd 2009
Gay should be allowed to get married. However they shuold be banned from having children, or adopting them
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John Huckleberry
8:38AM 8:38AM Apr 21st 2009
Yawn! Ever stop to think Miss Cali lost simply because she wasn't the best over all? She wasn't in mho. I was surprised she made it to runner up. Guess the judges were kissing up to the conservatives... like that has never happened before... case in point Anita Byrant. She could have answered, "I believe politics should be left at the door when representing Miss USA and America" but she didn't and that says it.
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Dr. Dave Cash
3:31PM 3:31PM Apr 21st 2009
Why should the world have to stop for so called "gays"?
Most of you don't have the guts to say it, but in your heart of hearts you KNOW that they are perverted, sexual deviates..the very idea of a man having sex with a man..........Dear God, has the whole world lost its morals? And NOW people are afraid to speak against it? Why? Because of Hollywood and ABC? This is WRONG and you know it... They are not gay, most of them are miserable...Statistics have shown that the average "gay" man will have several hundred partners in his lifetime.AND YOU WANT TO CALL THAT NORMAL?
I call it demonic
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fatherdjohnson
9:45AM 9:45AM Apr 21st 2009
Turning a beauty pageant into a liberal Inquisition is horrifying enough, but having Perez Hilton serve as a judge FOR ANYTHING is the biggest outrage of all.
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mahalapril
9:56AM 9:56AM Apr 21st 2009
Gays are very dirty animals and perverts from the very beginning.Before AIDS their sexual practices of multiple sexual partners and anal-penile sex in bathouses are all about lusts never about love. When AIDS came they were forced to become monogamous but still with lusts in their minds because they would have been exterminated by AIDS. Now they are sanitizing this perversion by having gay marriage as if it will change their lustful sexual practices.Gays have become arrogant,aggressive and violent. Let us feed the gays to the Talibans and Iranians and cut their tongues.
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recruiter
10:39AM 10:39AM Apr 21st 2009
Your violent comment has been filed with the US government. Bet you are not a citizen.
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Brenda
11:56PM 11:56PM Apr 21st 2009
I understand not believing in homosexual Marriage, How Ever,I completely disagree with your insulting and violent Language! Shame on you for such nastiness!!
Now, I have an 83 year old Uncle, who happens to be gay and even he, doesn't believe in Gay Marriage. He believes in having rights for their partners and Medical rights, however, No Gay Marriage! His feelings were that marriage Was between a man and a woman. Perez Hilton was un believably Vicious and showed him to be a nasty human being. You, Were his equal in that realm, Congratulations!!
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Frank
2:41AM 2:41AM Apr 22nd 2009
mahalapril sounds like he/she has first hand experience. Oh and it's ok for heterosexuals to have swinger clubs and their own sex clubs. World-wide, heterosexual lead in HIV infections. Maybe you should focus your energy on that.
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donfinaceo
6:30AM 6:30AM Apr 22nd 2009
hey hey I agree, feed the gays to lions.....although I wouldn't want a fag in any lions mouth!
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david
3:04AM 3:04AM Apr 23rd 2009
There was a time when straights used to club their women and take them to their cave and go out and find another one afterwards. Nowadays instead of a club, they use chemicals. It's not about gays and straights, it should be about who we love. Some people love a person because of the person, not for their sexual organs.
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muscldpapi
10:00AM 10:00AM Apr 21st 2009
I thought that one of the most important attributes to being selected as Ms. USA was that you were not only beautiful but also gracious. Instead of trying to find an excuse for not winning (and causing additional controversy) why not acknowledge the person who did win.
NO doubt that this "wanna-be" was not ready to be the winner.
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Ron M.
12:28PM 12:28PM Apr 21st 2009
What's a Perez Hilton? Whatever the answer, it is one of the things that is wrong with America. But the lefties should be happy, they have now hijacked what used to be a wholesome event. Shameful.
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janie james
2:51PM 2:51PM Apr 21st 2009
GOOD FOR HER, AND GLAD TO KNOW THIS PEREZ HILTON IS A FLAKEY HOMOSEXUAL,,,, WHEN 90 PERCENT ARE AGAINST YOU "PEREZ", YOUR IN A BIG MINORITY.
YOU HOMOSEXUALS RIGHTS PERSONS, ARE FIGHTING AN UPHILL BATTLE ,, AND WHEN YOU TEACH OUR TEENS IT IS A "CHOICE OF LIFESTYLE" YOUR RIGHT, THANK GOD MOST DON'T CHOOSE TO JOIN YOU.
THIS WOMAN SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO ANSWER TRUTHFULLY WITHOUT RECRIMINATION, AND LOSS.
LIVE AND LEARN, THE HOMOSEXUALS HAVE CREPT IN, FORGETTING "IT IS AN EXIT NOT AN ENTRANCE" AND SIN SICK.
MY OPINION AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH HERE.
JJ OR NO.CA.
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RJ
3:08PM 3:08PM Apr 21st 2009
The contestant's response was sincere, and probably echos the feelings of many Americans. It is too bad that Perez Hilton has an agenda that has caused his outrage. But then again, there are many agendas out there. Mexicans have an agenda. Homosexuals have an agenda. Polititions has an agenda. Slowly, but surely, these groups are grinding their agendas into the faces of all Americans, and smirking while they do it. It is time for Americans to be politically incorrect and take back America!
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Beeker D.
4:06PM 4:06PM Apr 21st 2009
I KNOW ONE thing for sure and that is the little Fruit Cake 'Perez Hilton' DIDN'T vote for her!
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mikey
3:47PM 3:47PM Apr 21st 2009
Some gays deserve to be called faggots, and Perez Hilton is a faggot.
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Dave In LA
5:21PM 5:21PM Apr 21st 2009
It's a deal! We gay men will stop judging women's pageants because we allegedly do not involve ourselves with the other sex. Your part of the bargain is to have the Catholic church not deal with marriage of any kind since they abstain with hving sex with anyone (except childeren in a few cases).
Also, she pissed off some of rthe judges with her answer. It could have and likely would have been the same result if she said she was for gay marriage. One or two of the more conservative judges likely would havescored her lower. The question was one of those "have-you-stopped-beating-your-wife" kind where she was doomed no matter what. The authour of the article is right IMHO thart the question should not have been asked in the first place.
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Bart Vincelette
3:01AM 3:01AM Apr 22nd 2009
The multitude of homophobic comments should remind the enlightened , that it must be very difficult for right wingers to believe in evolution ( or the issue herein ; gay rights), as they are not themselves fully evolved.As a man of science , I'd like to inform the conservatives that while far from being proven , evidence is mounting that indicates a greater propensity for conservative thinkers to develop Alzheimer's or Pick's , the two major forms of dementia.
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Teri Davis
4:53PM 4:53PM Apr 21st 2009
Perez Hilton should not have been one of the judges to begin with, but this being a free country, so be it. Miss Prejean, however, gave an honest and courageous answer in the face of the disease of political correctness and I applaud her for it. I think she is incredibly brave for speaking her mind and in this country that was founded on freedom of speech, it was wrong for her to be penalized for exercising her right to do so. Political correctness has destroyed our once-great country and Perez Hilton is a scumbag who should grow a moustache to hide the stretch marks around his mouth. The ironic thing is that no one has a clue who actually WON the contest because Miss Prejean has gotten all the exposure and fame from it. YOU GO GIRL!!!!!
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