Miss California: My Anti-Gay Marriage Answer “Cost Me My Crown”
Miss California Carrie Prejean says she believes her anti-same sex marriage stance hurt her chances of winning Sunday’s Miss USA competition.
At the Las Vegas pageant, Prejean, 21, was asked by judge Perez Hilton how she felt about legalizing gay marriage. “In my country, and in my family, I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman,” she replied. She later lost out to Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton.
“It did cost me my crown,” Prejean said of her response on Monday’s Billy Bush Show. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I said what I feel. I stated an opinion that was true to myself and that’s all I can do.”
“It is a very touchy subject and [Hilton] is a homosexual and I see where he was coming from and I see the audience would’ve wanted me to be more politically correct,” she added. “But I was raised in a way that you can never compromise your beliefs and your opinions for anything.”
In an interesting twist, Prejean revealed that her sister supports same sex marriage.
“My sister is a second lieutenant in the Air Force and she is a gay rights activist,” she said of her sib, who is not gay. “She supports gay people, she supports gay marriage. My beliefs have nothing to do with my sister or my mom, or whatever.”
Her sister wasn’t offended by her remarks at the pageant.
“She was just in my hotel room and she said, ‘Sis, I’m not offended by anything that you said. We have two different opinions and I love you because of it. I love you because you stood up for what was right, and it’s not a matter of being gay or not gay, it’s a matter of you competing for Miss USA and getting a question and answering it to the best of your ability,”” she said.
Added Prejean, “That’s what’s so great about being an American – we’re able to have our own opinions.”
Despite all the controversy, “I feel like I won. I feel like I’m the winner. I really do,” Prejean said, adding that she had 1,000 messages on Facebook and 2,000 friend requests.
Asked about rumors that she is dating Michael Phelps, she said, “He is a great man. Wouldn’t you like to know, Billy Bush? We can talk about that a different day.”
April 20th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
As my husband always says….”Why shouldn’t they be allowed to get married and be miserable like the rest of us!” lol
April 20th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
People should stop worrying so much about gay marriage and focus on thier own marriage.
April 20th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
HEY, if you want a civil partnership with the rights and benefits, then fine… I am with you. But all you want to do is to force people who don’t agree with you to accept something we never will. Marriages must be consumated for the purposes of procreation. There is nothing “gay” about it!
April 20th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
She thought she had a chance?!?!? Obviously being a xristian doesn’t keep you looking young and fresh!!
April 21st, 2009 at 7:53 am
I have nothing against gays having a civil union – but Marriage, it is not– sadly it is clear that Miss California lives in a country now that we are penalized for saying what we feel– sounds like the countries we condem because of people being punished for speaking their mind!
Kudos to Miss Cal! she should have won- she is the most beautiful & talented and a girl of principle, not a sheep talking in \"political correctness\"
April 21st, 2009 at 8:45 am
She’s only 21…… that has to be a typo she looks tooo old to be 21, she has to many wrinkles
April 21st, 2009 at 10:37 am
First of all she lost cause she looks like she’s 30, but even if she didn’t she still wouldn’t have won after what she said. It’s great that Carrie lives in a country where she can speak her mind and have her own opinion on marriage… oh yeah unless she was gay. I’m not gay I just really don’t like bigotry and think that if your American you should be treated with the same respect as your fellow citizens.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:04 am
Agree with Crunk. This woman looks one of the 30 something “Housewives of Orange County”. I find her looks very artificial. As to the controversy, everyone should have seen it coming. It’s my understanding she went to a conservative Christian college. Why is anyone surprised this is her stance?
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
What ever happened to giving an honest opinion in our country … the country of free speech. I applaud Miss Cali – kudos to her honesty. We need more people who will not back down to ridiculous, politically correct questions – who cares if gays can get married? GAYS care! Miss Cali isn’t gay and maybe that’s why she doesn’t invest much thought into their marriage(s). Kudos to her for not allowing Perez to back her into a corner for his own gain when he thought she would answer in a “politically correct” manner – his plan backfired and he made a fool of himself. I personally disagree with his internet BASHING of this fine woman, meanwhile, and as much as faygos DISGUST me, I support his opinion as well … because he is an American, as we all are … this is all really about FREEDOM OF SPEECH to say whatever the hell you want! It’s a shame that she would be judged for being a REAL American! She is the epitome of a classy American woman – not a hippie, wannabe Communist tard.