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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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Previous 20 Comments
mahalapril
3:44PM 3:44PM Apr 23rd 2009
David- All men are created equal? GAYS ARE NOT MEN BECAUSE THEY PUT THEIR PENIS ON ANOTHER MAN'S ANUS AND DO IT WITH MULTIPLE GAY SEXUAL PARTNERS.THEIR SEXUAL PRACTICES WILL INVITE IN THE FUTURE MORE LETHAL AND EASILY TRANSMISSABLE INFECTIONS.HETEROSEXUAL PROMISCUITY IS ALSO LUSTS OT LOVE JUST LIKE GAY SEX. THIS IS ABOUT SCIENCE NOT ABOUT THE BIBLE. GAYS HAVE NO SPECIAL RIGHTS. THEY HAVE BECOME AGGRESSIVE ,ARROGANT AND VIOLENT.THEY USED TO BE BEATEN TO DEATH AND NOW THEY ARE
THE ONES INTIMIDATING THE MAJORITY. GAYS HAVE BECOME SHAMELESS.SOMETIMES TOO MUCH FREEDOM IS HARMFUL.THEY HAVE BECOME VERY VOCAL IN CRITICIZING PEOPLE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH GAY MARRIAGE AND THAT IS 80% OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION.LET THEM GET MARRIED IN THE TALIBAN TERRITORY. THEY CAN SHOUT AND CRITICIZE ANYBODY AS MUCH AS THEY CAN UNTIL THEY ARE BEHEADED.
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John padrick murry
10:07PM 10:07PM May 6th 2009
I agree with you.
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Ed
2:04PM 2:04PM Apr 23rd 2009
Don't worry, next year "Miss" Universe will be a man and everyone will live happily ever after.
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KondoMonster
5:56PM 5:56PM Apr 23rd 2009
What a bunch of hypocrits. Im straight and totally for gay marriage. But its funny that Hilton is spreading hateful messages just as any gay basher. I say good for Miss California. She was honest with herself. But I guess these days, she would've been a better person if she LIED about her OPINION. But I guess in the morals-less world, lying shouldnt be a problem.
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John padrick murry
9:05PM 9:05PM Apr 23rd 2009
You are so right put them in the middle east so they can kill them.
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RedV
11:40PM 11:40PM Apr 23rd 2009
Yes this is her Personal belief. But what it actually shows is her ignorance (or stupidity might be better) regarding a human rights issue, she obviously answered a question to something she has never researced. She does not know what a homosexual is, or how could she stand up on a stage in front of millions and voice an opinion regarding the appalling treatment of a whole segment of population that have never been afforded an equal place in this United States.
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John padrick murry
9:04PM 9:04PM Apr 23rd 2009
Take all of the gays to the middle east there the muslims would kill them
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cowboygary
9:41PM 9:41PM Apr 23rd 2009
Don't you dare cross the PC crowd lest you be branded a racist or homophobe. So much for freedom of speech. If the government wants your opinion, they'll give it to you. To hell with Prez, the thought police and the radical gay movement. BTW--marriage should be between a man and a woman.
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Mary
12:28PM 12:28PM Apr 26th 2009
It is a sad reality that in the absence of scientific data we accept moral objections as reasoning.
She missed a golden opportunity to educate the public that the scientific community has established that homosexuality is congenital as result of feminzation of the brain during the first trimester of pregnancy and not a lifestyle choice. That a statistical model has been done (538.com) that projects by 2012 almost half of the 50 states would vote against a marriage ban, including several states that had previously voted to ban it. That it is possible there is a direct correlation between between this scientific data that has been accumulating since the 90's and awareness that translates into acceptance. That as a moral society we are obligated to remove the social stimatization of homosexuality that results in high suicide rate among homosexual teenagers. An opportunity missed to promote compassion and acceptance.
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Mike
1:31AM 1:31AM Apr 27th 2009
This is extremely funny to me. This is beauty pageant. When a person signs up for something like this they get what they ask for.
Most people in these things do not win because they are not pretty enough. Or to be more accurate the judges do not consider them pretty enough.
It is basically a popularity contest. She should have sold out and gone all the way.
A huge percentage of the viewers are gay men. Many people in the audience were gay. I think Perez Hilton is gay.
Apparently the judges did not like her enough. Would she be happier if she was just not pretty enough?
It is a contest to see who can be most popular with people including gay men.
These things are never fair.
Get over it.
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mahalapril
12:13PM 12:13PM Apr 29th 2009
This is not about religion . I am an atheist. This is about science and respect for the majority. The gays and liberals have been so arrogant,aggressive and sometimes violent and power drunk that they should be put where they belong at the bottom of the ladder.
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mahalapril
8:53PM 8:53PM Apr 30th 2009
Mary- We can never remove the stigmatization of homosexuality because it was started as a lustful gay multiple sexual partners, anal -penile sex in bathouses. Their practice facilitated the transmission of AIDS from Africa forcing the gays against their lusts to become monogamous or be exterminated.If they remained quiet and humble after we tolerated civil unions they would have been alright. The problem is they have become too arrogant,agrressive,violent and thinking they are superior to the majority of Americans. Gays have no special rights. They are perverts with plenty of lusts and hate without love.Gays are also parasites to the heterosexual because they can't propagate in isolation. We are now declaring war against the gays. They should behave ,be civilized,speak politely and respect the majority or they will be bashed mercilessly.
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John padrick murry
9:15AM 9:15AM May 2nd 2009
You are right marriage shoulld be between a man and a woman.
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John padrick murry
9:58PM 9:58PM May 2nd 2009
I agree with you.
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John padrick murry
1:37PM 1:37PM May 10th 2009
I am in agreement with you, gays are parasites
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Karen
4:14PM 4:14PM May 6th 2009
So sick of the gays. The gays, the gays, the gays. They have people in high places, or none of this sickness would be getting as far as it is. Marriage is between a man and a woman. End of story! Even if the country goes entirely down the tubes and "legitimizes" queer relationships, we will NEVER accept it as a marriage. NEVER!!!
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John padrick murry
8:36AM 8:36AM May 7th 2009
i am sick of gays if one of them tries anything with me he will get his ass kicked
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John padrick murry
8:49AM 8:49AM May 7th 2009
Karen i am sick of them too,yes there are people in high places pushing this cancer.
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Karen
9:47AM 9:47AM May 10th 2009
In New York, the gay bathhouses use to have them lining up with their bare asses hanging over a rail -- ready to get screwed by any Tom, Dick or Leroy. Disease spreading filth!!!
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Previous 20 Comments