"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 said. "And you know what? I think in my country, 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."
[For the full article, see here.]
Although this beautiful young lady is a knock out, why would anyone care about, let alone take seriously, her views concerning same-sex marriage in the first place? Moreover, her ignorance and blind acceptance of false ideology concerning this subject because "...that's how I was raised" is more to be pitied than castigated, and can be made to work in our favor.
If left to stand on its own, her answer would have highlighted her ignorance on this subject, and would have spoken volumes about her provincial and pathetic "reasoning" concerning this subject. However, with a reactionary right wing eager to grab onto anything that might enhance their image in their fight against Gay rights and also acquire gains in the political arena, including the Presidency, Ms. Prejean likely seems to many of them to be manna from heaven!
Perez Hilton discussed her answer to his question when she was being considered for Miss USA in the following brief video:
Just as it is counterproductive to engage professing Christian homophobes in a debate about same-sex marriage and LGBT rights because it elevates their hate-mongering "theology" to be on an equal playing field with the Gospel of grace and inclusiveness that Jesus preached and lived, it was and is counterproductive to do anything more than to civilly express our revulsion for her views and our pity for her that her critical intellect goes no further than how she was raised as a child.
And by so doing, her answer to that question would work in our favor by highlighting how many of those who are against same-sex marriage haven't progressed beyond what they were taught as children; many of those who are against same-sex marriage are ignorant of the issues (We don't "live in a land where you can choose [sic] same-sex marriage or opposite [sic] marriage.").
And we are to credibly invite all those who are wedded to the lies perpetrated upon them as children to now recognize that they are to be responsible adults who have to discern whether or not they are in favor of Constitutional protections for all American citizens or not and, if not, why they feel the way they do.
Indeed, we should use Ms. Prejean's answer to show how all citizens have to transcend the lies and limitations that were placed upon them as children and act as mature and informed adults with critical intellects who are in the position to decide whether or not we are to be a country where there is equality under the law; whether or not we are going to allow second class citizenship for any minority group; whether or not we are going to allow a tyranny of the majority to decide the civil rights of any minority group.
However, according to Ms. Prejean, after she gave her answer, she was told the following:
Prejean, 21, said officials from the Miss California USA pageant were worried that her comments would cost their contest financial backing and tried to prepare her for a string of post-pageant media interviews by discouraging her from discussing her religious beliefs.
"`You need to apologize to the gay community. You need to not talk about your faith. This has everything to do with you representing California and saving the brand,'" Prejean recalled being told. "I was representing California. I was representing the majority of people in California..."
The San Diego Christian College junior, model and member of the San Diego Padres "Pad Squad" received a heroine's welcome from fellow members of the Rock, where she was the guest of honor at morning services. Seated onstage across from McPherson, she recalled resisting multiple opportunities - from her appearance on NBC's "Today" show to a performance with Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump - to edit, explain or expound upon her remarks.
"I knew I had to stay true to my beliefs and not let them intimidate me into taking back what I said because I don't take back what I said," she said.
[For the full article, see here.]
Now, Ms. Prejean seems to be the darling of the radical right wing! She has been invited to go on "conservative" talk shows, and to speak in "conservative" churches.
She has been placed, and has placed herself, in the role of martyr!
She said she would be willing to meet with representatives from California's largest gay rights group "as long as it's not political." [She's clearly not an intellectual heavyweight, as the acquisition of equal civil rights is political by definition.]
If anything, Prejean has solidified her stance in the last week. [Miles] McPherson [pastor of The Rock Church, a megachurch in which Ms. Prejean spoke, and who was active in the campaign for Prop. 8 in California last year], who preaches against homosexuality, has been acting as her adviser and encouraging her to use her newfound fame to persuade other evangelical Christians to share their views, even if they are unpopular.
"I learned that God has a bigger crown than any man can give you," she said.
[For the full article, see here.]
So, now Ms. Prejean has taken what is considered "the high ground," and the subject has shifted from her ignorance and/or pathetic recitation of lessons she learned as she was growing up to justify her exclusionary politics, to her "standing up for her convictions." And, to add insult to injury, she has predictably invoked God's name to justify her stance on this equal rights issue!
And we are to make no mistake: the radical right wing may now see her as their major hope and player in bringing them back into public favor, as a lot of people, regardless of political party affiliation, respect people who "stick to their guns when the going gets rough."
Her role has, therefore, shifted from a person with immense physical beauty but limited intellectual ability to a person who stands her ground, and we shouldn't allow that shift to remain intact!
We must see Ms. Prejean's answer as a teachable moment for potential Straight allies, and concentrate on, and advertise, how it's the uninformed and uncritical intellects, wedded to thinking as they were told to think as children, that lies behind much of the homophobia that has hitherto prevented the acquisition of full and equal civil rights for LGBT people.
As of now, given the relatively superficial and mercurial nature of American politics and the importance of one's image in the media, it has come to the following state of affairs:
America's conservatives have found a new beauty queen to shower their affections on, just as their ardour for Sarah Palin begins to cool.
Just a few months ago, it was Palin who was wowing the right with her trenchant views on family values and the story of her unlikely journey from the 1984 Miss Alaska competition to the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nomination.
Now conservatives have found another pageant darling in Carrie Prejean, 21, the current Miss California, dubbed last week by the leading political website politico.com "a conservative sensation, a poster girl for the right"....
Prejean says she wants to become a motivational speaker to young people, teaching them to stand up for what they believe in.
After that? "Maybe get into politics, who knows?"
[For the full article, see here.]
Unless we publicly and credibly focus on her and others' ignorance and childish adherence to the way they were raised to think as children as lying behind their desire to prevent equal rights for Gay people, we may well be seeing a martyr and future politician in Ms. Prejean.
Any bets as to whether or not Ms. Prejean will be the next Republican Vice Presidential candidate in 2012?
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