Miss USA Controversy

OK, I was REALLY trying to avoid writing about this issue. Not so much as it deals with homosexuality as much as I just felt there were better (and more important) things going on in the world.

But since so much news coverage has been devoted to the controversy, coupled with the fact that even my wife was pressuring me to blog on the issue, I have decided to throw my hat in the ring…so to speak!

For anyone living in a cave the last week, the Miss USA contest has been embroiled in a controversy ever since Miss California said it was her personal belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. It’s interesting that a statement that would hardly raise an eyebrow in any other place in the world, let alone any time period in recorded human history, would be the reason for her loss.

I must admit, when I first saw the headline, my instant thought was that it was just sour grapes. She lost and she’s looking for a reason that will stir some press. Surely you can’t lose a beauty contest because you don’t agree with homosexual marriage.

Ah, but you can!!

Curiosity got the better of me and I watched some of the follow up news clips. It turns out that Perez Hilton, the openly gay judge who read the question, freely admitted that her position on gay marriage was what swayed not only him, but some of the other judges. The bombastic Hilton went on to say “It was the worst answer in pageant history!” He went on then to call her a “Dumb B*&ch” and later a “C&%t”.

The worst answer in pageant history? I have watched the answer a few times now on various news sites and although there may be some small room for improvement (What is opposite marriage?) she was sincere and gracious. She was aware that what she was saying on a very controversial issue was not going to agreed with by many people, including the judges, but she made it a point that her position was not meant to offend.

The same could not be said of her detractors. Besides the foul names leveled against her by Hilton, the representatives of the Miss California pageant have denounced her answer and have chosen to distance themselves from the very person they are supposed to be supporting.

It’s ironic to note, and as the MSNBC clip makes a point of, that President Obama, who is embraced by many within the gay community, gave the exact same answer on the campaign trail that Carrie Prejean gave in the pageant; that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman.

One gets to be President of the United States and the other…?

Well, seems she’s not fit to win a beauty pageant!