Don't blink, because you may never see this again. In a few moments, you'll witness me engage my precious typing fingers to comment on... of all things... a friggin beauty pageant. Miss USA to be exact. (God. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth, but I digress.)
Just in case you were lucky enough to actually miss this on the news, here's the summary. The gay Miss USA judge (and famous blogger), Perez Hilton asked Miss California (Carrie Prejean) a controversial question during the competition. And the poor little blond thing gave an answer that arguably cost her the title. (Doesn't she know that "world peace" is the correct answer to all those dayum beauty pageant questions? Just ask Miss Congeniality.) Anyway:
Having negotiated earlier rounds of modelling in a swimsuit and evening gown, she was down to the final 15 and had to answer a single question from one of the panel of five judges.
Prejean picked celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who is openly gay and calls himself 'queen of all media'.
Hilton asked her: 'Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalise same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?'
Prejean paused for a moment before replying: '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.'
She continued: 'And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
'No offence to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be - between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.' [source]
Since that time, all hell has broken loose in the media like a cat fight of biblical proportions (no pun intended). Perez Hilton kicked it off by calling Prejean a "dumb bitch," which I suspect came with a lot of neck-rolling and batted eyelashes. But I call "Dumb" on Perez Hilton for asking that question in the first place. Why? Because gay marriage is the new double-punch hot-button issue that grabs people by their political AND religious nuts (preceded only by the equally double-punched question of abortion). And I don't think that kind of question has a place in all the priss and prance of a beauty pageant. In fact, if the answer isn't "World Peace," I call foul on the question (but I digress again).
Now I can't leave Perez hanging in the wind for turning the stage into his personal platform for gay rights. Because Miss California did the same by converting the stage into her personal pulpit.
But Hawa, aren't you a Christian? Didn't you agree with her immediately and wanna smack the pink out of Perez's soul?
No. HELL no. I'm not siding with the self-proclaimed Christian Keepers of the Moral Center for Finger Pointing. Because Christians, especially Christian Conservatives, are notorious for picking on the "other" sinners. By "other", I mean anybody believed to commit worse sins than the sanctified among us. Really, it just gets ridiculous.
If you believe homosexuality is a sexual sin, then get consistent with your bible thumping finger pointing. What about putting adultery back on the books as illegal and giving the betrayed spouse legal rights to sue? Why not disallow all these TV shows that glorify sex before marriage? While we're at it, lets make sure liars and common fornicators can't adopt children.
You see, I don't want my government ruling under a narrow set of "Christian" beliefs. Not only do we pride ourselves on allowing religious freedom, but John McCain and Sarah Palin taught us a HUGE lesson about the way Christians can't even agree about religion (read: Christian conservatives scare the crap out of me). Even the Klu Klux Klan considers themselves a Christian organization. So I can do without lessons from some folks on how to be a Good American Christian.
Marriage from a government perspective is about the legally binding contract between two people. And that's what I want my government to tend to. If two consenting adults of the same sex decide to marry, why shouldn't the mate receive property rights and other spousal benefits? Leave the legalities to the legislators. Leave the religious dilemma to individuals.
And please, by golly, leave the politically and religiously-charged questions OFF the beauty pageant stage. It's just.... not.... cute.
I agree.
And whether or not I agree with Prejean (I don't), I still think Perez's comments SINCE this were wrong... all wrong and he's looking like the ass, now.
Posted by: ASmith | April 21, 2009 at 11:07 PM
They need to leave that little girl alone. She was honest and she shouldn't be faulted for that.
Posted by: chele | April 22, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Amen amen. Hawa, A Smith, Chele, you said it all
he had no place asking her that
no I don't agree with her and I consider myself a Christian but Perez just played right into the argument of the so called Christian Conservatives--that they will be vilified for their biblically based beliefs!
Tolerance means tolerating what you don't agree with which is what she portrayed. Now Perez needs to turn the other cheek.
Posted by: GC | April 22, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Well said, Hawa. They've been lighting that chick up for the past 2 days. I couldn't believe my ears when he called her a "dumb bitch". Hmmm. All because she had a different opinion.
I feel like this: it cost her the pageant. But she knew where she stood. And she said what she believed. She should be proud of herself for doing that.
Posted by: LadyLee | April 23, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Perez Hilton is a hypocrite -- of course the question was about personal belief, just look at how he's reacting
Posted by: Nomad | April 24, 2009 at 02:53 AM
I wish the media and some Christians would stop assisting Miss California, Carrie Prejean in promoting herself as a representative of morality and Christianity. The fact that she strips down and prances around in a little bikini for all to judge how "hot" her body looks shows she is not a good Christian role model. I write for holiness.com and advise people around the globe on biblical Christian living. I do believe that marriage is between a man and a woman based on scripture. http://www.holiness.com/ChristiansInPorn.htm
Posted by: Shawn | May 01, 2009 at 12:40 AM