You know...it goes BOTH ways.

Crystalina wrote: I'm really irritated by this video I just watched. Here is what it says in the video description:
Miss USA 2009 runner-up, Carrie Prejean causes a scandal with her gay marriage comments.

So by reading that I'm really wondering what she went up there and said to cause such a stir. You are NOT going to believe what the big deal is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQIZESsSFYY

Her opinion and the way she wants to live her life. You know that I am all for gay marriage but it ticks me off just as bad to listen to the announcers reaction to this as it is to hear people say gay marriage is wrong.

I see nothing wrong AT ALL with what this woman said.

luvbug00 replied: i saw this and the audience reaction was beyond immiture. She has the right to believe what she wants. If her faith dictates it is wrong and we cridisize her for that then we are being cridical of her faith and that goes beyond a question at some stuiped pagent.
I really have no solid opinion either way.
I do however think that the responce the judge (perez hilton) had on his blog reminds me that he is still on the maturity level of a 16 year old.

Kentuckychick replied: I personally think her answer was ignorant, especially since she did NOT answer the question she was "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage, do you think every state should follow suit, why or why not?"

It wasn't that she said, after much incoherent rambling, that in her personal opinion marriage is between a man and woman, it's that she beat around the bush.

Here's her full answer;

"Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage. 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."

First of all... able to choose one or the other what? Second of all oh? You can choose same sex marriage or... "opposite" marriage in America... I was unaware of that. At least, only in those four states.

But anyway, that's what people are mostly annoyed about. There are a million ways she could have tactfully answered that question. (It should be up to the states themselves. I personally don't agree with same sex marriage but..., etc...). She failed miserably.

I'm glad she's not going to be representing our country.

Kentuckychick replied: I also had to add...

I think it's hilarious she said she thinks it's great she lives in America where people can choose... but in HER country (ie; America) she doesn't think people should be able to choose

Cece00 replied: I dont think they should ask these kinds of questions, personally. Did they ask anyone their stance on abortion? Other questions along those lines?

I mean esp. bc its...MS USA...does anyone actually care what these girls have to say about these types of questions?? I know I dont...

coasterqueen replied:
I agree, especially when it's a gay person asking the question - I mean, if you don't answer it how that person wants of course they are going to be p'oed. I think it was completely unfair of the judges, but I give that woman a lot of credit for being truthful. People give her crap for thinking gay marriage shouldn't be a choice, but then she gets slammed for speaking her mind - so they aren't going to give her a CHOICE to be truthful and believe what she believes in. I mean, if we all believe in the US and the freedom to have our own views - they shouldn't be slamming her for having her OWN view.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Totally agree. Shouldn't have even been a question, AND I give her a huge thumbs up for speaking her true opinion. She has a conviction and she stuck by it. I applaud her for not just saying what people wanted to hear just to win a competition. If that were me, I'd care more about what God would be thinking of my response, not the rest of the country. Poop on them if they didn't like it. Even though her response was a little around the bush, she still stayed true to her feelings and convictions, and I think that is what matters most, IMO.

stella6979 replied:

luvmykids replied:
ITA....they asked her opinion, she gave it. Besides, what exactly, is the relevance of it? Or any of the dumb questions they ask for that matter, but thats kind of the point....why is her answer such a big deal when their answers really have nothing to do with anything?

cameragirl21 replied: I think the issue was her words--"in MY country"...had she just said, "in my family, I was raised to believe marriage is between a man and a woman...." it would have been different but this whole in MY country part is offensive as there are plenty of same sex couples in the USA who think it's very much their country as well and have their own ideas of what their country stands for.
I also have to wonder why the opinion of a girl whose best assets are the boobs a plastic surgeon clearly gave her is important. Why not stick to topics she is well versed in like tanning and posing...?

coasterqueen replied:
You know, I'm not really sure she meant anything by the "my country". I didn't take it as anything, really. I honestly honestly think she didn't mean what you are taking it as. I think she was just nervous and maybe forgot she was at the Miss USA and not the Miss Universe? I mean, wouldn't you be nervous being asked a totally unfair question from someone you know is going to slam you for your opinion?

I think people forget people can honestly make an english mistake when speaking in public. I know when I'm publicly speaking (which is never because I don't like it) I get very wordy, and words NEVER come out right.

stella6979 replied:
So, so true and I was just about to say the same exact things you just said.

Kentuckychick replied: The contestants are all well aware that they may be asked political type questions... even touchy ones such as these. He did not ask her personal opinion on gay marriage, and he did not know her personal opinion before he asked the question. He asked whether or not she believed other states should follow Vermont in legalizing same sex marriage.

She knew Perez was going to be the one asking her a question beforehand... she even said she had a feeling that was going to be the topic. If so, then she should have been WAY more prepared.

I do think the issue has gotten out of hand, but I think saying she was just caught off guard is giving her way too much credit. Again, I think there are plenty of ways that question could have been answered, even a simple, "I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman so no, I do not believe that marriage between a same sex couple should be legalized." Would have been better than the rambling she did.

And sure, the "my country" nonsense was just her tripping over her own tongue... so I'm sure was all the randomness she said before that about how it's great that in this country same sex couples can choose to be married (when duh, they cannot).

I think it does go both ways... she should have lost due to her answer. There was nothing "wrong" with it... but there was also nothing intelligent about it.

cameragirl21 replied:
this is true but once you're in the public eye you have to expect that people are going to dissect and rip apart what you say so she shouldn't be surprised. I personally don't watch these pageants and wouldn't know anything about this if I hadn't seen it here, nor do I care what she or any of the other contestants think but I'm just commenting on why her comments may have been taken the way they were.
Consider this--for those of us who are straight, we don't think much of this sort of comment but for those who are gay, well, they feel like they've been discriminated against since time immemorial so they are ultra sensitive to these things in a way the rest of us aren't.
I have to say, and I so do not mean to change the subject but just relating this to myself--this is precisely why I get upset during the holidays when people wish me a Merry Christmas...I KNOW it's a friendly gesture and just meant to be harmless and no thought is given when it's said, it's just automatic but I feel somewhat insulted that someone who sees me clearly wearing a Star of David assumes that I celebrate Christmas, kwim? I'm sure it seems silly to you but I can tell you it's a common complaint amongst my non Christian friends (and not all of them are Jewish). It's the same idea--to you it seems like a harmless thing and we know that no harm or offense is intended but it does upset us and I always look the person in the eye and say "happy holidays" in response. I imagine gay people feel the same way about comments like this that seem harmless to you and me.

coasterqueen replied:
I'm confused...she WAS asked for her personal opinion on gay marriage - whether other states should follow. If she said a plain simple no, she could have been asked as to why. I don't think I would have just answered a simple no.

coasterqueen replied: And personally, I find it disgusting that Perez used this forum to ask such questions. He's got an agenda - to put it all out in the public and force gay marriage in states. It's on his pages daily. He used this forum for publicity asking such a question and I find that far more disgusting than her answer or tripping on her words, or because she didn't answer it "politically correct".

cameragirl21 replied: Everyone has an agenda, Karen, and everyone will use every opportunity they have to push it. The smartest ones will be the best pushers.
I think way too much credence is given to opinion of what is probably a dumb girl who is pretty but has little else going for her. Who cares what she thinks of gay marriage as long as she can shake her assets for the judges?

stella6979 replied:
Wow, talk about judging a book by it's cover.

Kentuckychick replied:
She never answered whether or not she felt other states should follow suit... she just gave her personal opinion on the matter. There are plenty of people who believe marriage is between a man and a woman who would also agree that it should be up to the individual states, or that while that's their opinion, there's a separation of church and state, or that same sex commitments (while not called marriages) would be appropriate. She just babbled.

coasterqueen replied:
Ahh that's really sad Jennifer, to hear you say that. I don't think I can judge her so harshly, being that I don't know a thing about her. So are the only smart people those who are ugly, no boobs, no tan, and who don't participate in a pageant? Just because she's in this pageant doesn't make her only good assets her body. I mean, I do have my opinions on pageants (more so child pageants when parents go too far with them), but this woman might be incredibly intelligent. She may just be nervous speaking in public - which doesn't make her stupid. I'm not stupid and I've made some pretty terrible speeches in my day because of being nervous. Sure i had time to prepare and knew what could happen in the room I was speaking in (what people could ask,etc) but that didn't make it any easier for me.

MommyToAshley replied:
I completely agree.. I don't see why the question was asked except maybe to cause some controversy or promote Perez's own agenda by getting a particular type of answer. I saw a snip-it of an interview Perez did after the show and he said she immediately offended all the gay and lesbian population. Well, if she had answered differently, she would have offended the other half of the population that believe a marriage should be between a man and a woman. I think it is important to be tolerant of others, but you can do so without compromising your own personal beliefs. While she could have chosen her words a little more wisely, I am glad she did not just give the politically correct answer. Sometimes people are so caught up in their own cause that they forget tolerance goes both ways.

cameragirl21 replied:
well, Karen, here's the thing--it's true, she may be smarter than she acts but I have been around these pageant women (none who have come so far as Miss USA, though) and have been around professional models and I can't say I've been impressed by their intellect yet. I could be wrong but I think the common assumption is that these women's strongpoint is not their brains so why ask them these sorts of questions, kwim?
I'm not an economics whiz so why would anyone ask me a question about economics, kwim?
I don't care if she's dumb or smart or what her opinions are about anything, just saying that these sorts of questions are asked to raise some angst and the likes of Perez are put in these sorts of positions to accomplish that and that has been accomplished. The very fact that you and I are talking about this now is proof positive of that.
As for having to be ugly to be smart, I don't think I'm ugly and I doubt anyone else does either and no one in the world would ever call me unintelligent...I've actually had people say things like, "Jennifer, you may be a lot of things but stupid sure isn't one of them."
Just wondering why anyone is surprised by these series of events, that's all, what would you expect? Drama sells, plain and simple and it leads to discussions like these which is exactly what the likes of Perez want.

Crystalina replied: I think people are just picking her words apart too much to make them "wrong". The only thing I got out of it was that she does not approve of gay marriage and that is how she was raised and no offense to any gays out there or anyone who disagrees with her.
I mean really, we can take a sentence or a group of sentences and pick them apart all day and everyone can find fault with why this word was placed in a sentence with that word or (did you hear that tone and the way she lifted that eyebrow?).

I personally think all it amounts to is that people were "shocked!" at the fact that in the year 2009 this woman went in public (in front of the biggest gossip Queen) and stated her opinion about the issue. And yes this is "her" country but I took it as saying "in my world". I've said "in my country" or "in my world" several times in my life. It's a figure of speech. I also said that Bush was "not my Pres." I didn't mean he really wasn't but that I did not vote for him. I think that's kind of what this woman was trying to say. We can't throw stones at her for saying gays should not marrry just as I would not want her to throw stones a gays who do want to get married. Like the title of this thread states: it goes both ways.

Danalana replied: I have a friend whose sister made it VERY far into the Miss America pageant last year. I have to say that it's sad how all of them are judged in a little box. Sure, we have seen those who have little else going on in their minds besides posing and tanning, but I honestly believe they are becoming the minority. My friend's sister is beautiful but it took a lot for her to get into the pageant scene. She has always been tomboy-ish and just not into the froo froo stuff that comes with pageant life. She is down-to-earth and volunteers at a lot of local organizations where she lives. Besides that, she is very intelligent (English major, I believe). I think it's time to stop judging all of them by what we have seen from some. If it were judgment about any other group, this board wouldn't have it...including (and especially ) you, Jennifer. I'm just saying there are many girls who are smart and who also have higher morals than, for instance, a brick.
That being said, I didn't watch/hear any of it. SO, I won't give an opinion.

MommyToAshley replied:
Very well said. I don't think we should judge or stereotype the participants in a beauty pageant. But, with that said, I don't like pageants in general because of the emphasis they put on outer beauty.

Danalana replied: I don't either, Dee Dee....I've always had a bit of a problem with it.

jcc64 replied:

ITA, this isn't a grad school board exam, it's a beauty pageant. She may be perfectly intelligent, but that's not gonna win her the contest, let's at least be honest about that.
I'm not sure who Perez is, tbh, but I'm gathering he's a way-out-of-the-closest provocateur, and I think it's pretty hilarious that he asked that question in that venue. I'm thinking this will be the last pageant he'll be invited to judge, but it sure does make good theater for an entertainment form in its death throws. It got us all yakking about it!

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Totally agree. I chalk it up to her just being nervous and not knowing how to word the answer on the spot. She's only human.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I think she did answer it. What I got out of it was that #1, she believed a marriage should be between a man and woman...so to me, that says "no" she doesn't believe any more states should follow suit. IMO, it would be contradicting for someone to say that they don't believe it same sex marriage then say the states should follow suit. If you do think it's ok for other states to follow suit, then that means you are for same sex marriage...plain and simple. AND, #2, the reason WHY (since she was asked why) is because those are her beliefs and how she was raised. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't see why it's hard to see that she did answer the questions. She just didn't go into further detail, and from what I know, they have a time limit and are trained to give short and simple answers.

Danalana replied: I think the fact that her answer probably wasn't going to be the "popular" answer says a lot about her character. I like to think I wouldn't go against what I truly believe just to satisfy political correctness and the answer he was looking for.

Calimama replied: I think how much news and coverage time this story is getting is insane. She gave her opinion and that's the end of it. The best thing about our country is that we don't have to all agree with it. My mom isn't for gay marriage. Does that make her stupid.. uneducated.. a cave man? No. It means she a difference of opinion. So what she worded it "wrong"? I word things wrong on a daily basis. It happens.

And I can't spell.

My2Beauties replied: As much as I disagreed with her answer and I do think she beat around the bush a little bit, I have to hand it to her for sticking to her guns and saying what she believed. She does have a right to her opinion as much as I disagree with her opinion. I see what you're saying Crystal.

coasterqueen replied: never mind.

cameragirl21 replied:
LOL, Karen, I think I may need to steal a page from your playbook...this is what I should have said in a lot of threads....

Boo&BugsMom replied: This most recent statement from her just came out...

"I was ready for my question, and when I heard it from him, I knew at that moment after I'd answered the question, I knew that I was not going to win because of my answer," she said. "Because I had spoken from my heart, for my beliefs and for my God."

"I wouldn't have answered it differently. The way that I answered it might have been offensive to people, and I said, 'No offense to anybody.' I did not want to offend anybody.

"It's not about being politically correct, for me, it's about being biblically correct."

Calimama replied:
Love that quote!

mckayleesmom replied: I think Perez needs to step off his high horse already. Why ask a question if you only want one answer?

Her own sister is a gay rights activist and she said she wasn't offended at all by what she said.

Calimama replied:
He's the same person that will post that a skinny girl needs to eat but then talk crap about Jessica Simpson gaining weight.


People put too much stock into what he says.

Crystalina replied: I'm not sure what the Bible has to do with any of this seeing as how it teaches us about love but that is for another thread and I won't touch it anymore.

luvmykids replied:
I like her even more now Love that she isn't back pedaling or apologizing for herself.

And Perez, well, he's just Perez....a guy who is infamous more than famous

Cece00 replied:
Right, but see...the person who is picked as MS USA has NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING to do with gay rights.

Those questions are completely inappropriate for that type of forum.

Its ridiculous that they even ask those types of questions.

Everyone wouldve been JUST as offended if she has used the wording you described, her "rambling" had nothing to do with it.

And for the record, I dont disagree with same sex marriage, but I seriously disagree with these types of questions being asked in a forum where's its completely inappropriate.

And I dont know how true it is that she lost bc of her answer but I guarantee if her answer was the reason, it was bc she had an unpopular opinion, and not because she "rambled"

Cece00 replied:
Agreed!

Sorry but I think this was totally 100% inappropriate for whomever set up this whole deal (producers of the pageant or whatever)

Cece00 replied:
One of the smartest girls I know used to do pageants...she's beautiful too....so I dont think there is neccessarily a correlation...

But, I also dont give a crap how she feels about same sex marriage, and I dont think a BEAUTY PAGEANT is the right forum for such topics.