Miss California Defends Anti-Gay Marriage Views on Today Show

Miss California may have ended her run for Miss USA as the runner up as the result of her stand on gay marriage, but the hubbub surrounding the situation hasn’t died down yet. Carrie Prejean, Miss California, was asked about her opinion of gay marriage by celebrity blogger and pageant judge Perez Hilton as part of the Miss USA pageant. When she noted that "marriage should be between a man and a woman," she won no points with Hilton, who is openly (read: "off the hook") gay.

While we’re on the subject – and not that it’s much of an honor to judge the Miss USA pageant – but how DID Hilton get to be a judge? He’s more reminiscent of the "Bitch Pleez" character on Saturday Night Live than of anyone we should be taking seriously but, alas, such is the nature of the pop culture scene that flamboyance and strong opinions pass for entertainment. At any rate, Prejean went on NBC’s "Today" show yesterday, and told host Matt Lauer that she spoke her real opinion during the Sunday pageant.

Prejean’s exact comments were, "I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. But in my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised." Prejean also told Lauer, "at that moment after I’d answered the question, I knew that I was not going to win because of my answer. I don’t take back what I said. It’s not about being politically correct. For me, it’s about being biblically correct." Hilton noted that Prejean should have "left her politics and her religion out because Miss USA represents all Americans." Well said, but it’s not clear whether Hilton was suggesting that Prejean simply change her mind and agree with him (because he said so) or simply lie when answering the question...hmmmm.