In all this flap over the drama at the Miss USA pageant, I can't decide what bugs me more: that Miss California is a bigot or that Miss North Carolina's win was totally overshadowed by the fact that Miss California is a bigot. Actually, there are a number of things that bug me, so I kind of want to blow my ref whistle and take them one at a time:
1. We still have beauty pageants??? Okay, seriously... One thing I've never understood about pageants is that they are clearly *beauty* pageants (rewarding one definition of beauty, at that), and yet they persist on judging answers to questions that even presidential candidates have trouble parsing, live on the air. Personally, I think that any competition using a gossip blogger as a judge doesn't really have much business exploring the nuances of civil rights.
2. The judge that asked Question X of Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was said gossip blogger Perez Hilton, he of the erudite criticism of Jennifer Love Hewitt's cellulite. And, what, now he's the Michael J. Fox of gay marriage rights? Regardless of how Hilton and I might intersect on some issues, I have to go with TLo on this one.
3. Miss California... Oh, honey. First of all, let me say that I understand from experience how difficult it is to craft a cogent response to any question on live TV, even on a totally innocuous issue. Prejean was articulate and concise, which is far harder than it looks. But her rationale for denying same-sex couples the right to marry - it's the way she was brought up - was neither relevant or sufficient in answering Hilton's question. But I would be willing to let that slide - knowing that sometimes points get lost in the heat of the moment - if she'd been willing to clarify or add to her position since then. Instead, she's entrenched herself, speculating that her answer is what lost her the title and saying she's "Biblically correct." Now she's a darling of the religious conservative wing of the anti-gay movement, even planning to appear at the Dove Awards. Which brings me to...
4. I am so sick and fracking tired of the media's total lack of criticism of anti-gay "Christians" who say that their opposition to gay rights is based on Biblical teachings. There's so much wrong with that I don't know where to begin.
But mostly...
5. Hilton's question included mention of Vermont's decision last week to legalize same-sex marriage, and today the Maine state legislature took up the same issue. Ten years ago, even four or five years ago, a person stating publicly that same-sex marriage was just always wrong wouldn't have faced nearly the level of ridicule that Prejean has. It's going to take more time, but those of us who believe that every American should have the same protections and priviliges as every other American are winning.
And one more thing... Where does Prejean stand on using illegal drugs?
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