When I first saw Miss California's answer, I knew that her ignorance went well beyond a personal opposition to same-sex marriage. It seems now that my suspicions have been confirmed.
In an interview with Rex Wockner, Carrie Prejean goes well beyond a simple objection to gay marriage; she says that gay people CHOOSE to be gay.
Rex: I understand that you were raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and I understand that you grew up knowing that you were always going to marry a guy, but you're heterosexual. Um, some people are born gay, maybe, you think?
Carrie: No, I don't think so.
Rex: OK, so now we're getting somewhere.
Carrie: I think it's a behavior that develops over time.
Now we're getting to the heart of the issue. Miss California doesn't just oppose gay marriage; she thinks gay people are evil, abominations who CHOOSE to burn in Hell. This type of indoctrinated Fundamentalist ignorance is exactly what America has been rejecting for the last several years.
Having a personal or religious objection to the legal recognition of same-sex marriage is one thing --- saying that gay human beings choose to be gay is entirely another thing. It is a form of institutionalized and systemic hate that has overtaken the Republican Party and helps foster resentment and bitterness toward Fundamentalist Christians.
Thankfully, not all Christians are like this, however. Yesterday, for example, my Lutheran bishop presided over our church's liturgy. A few weeks back, my state's Legislature was considering legislation to add sexual orienation to state laws banning discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation. The hate campaign from the Family Policy Council was well known (see the "gay sniper" video), and two female Democratic legislators were specifically targeted by this campaign. I asked my bishop (who I really didn't know all to well) to phone the two legislators and let them know that not all Christian denominations were as vile and hateful as those representing opposition to this bill. During the liturgy yesterday, my bishop said that he couldn't believe just how inhumanely the legislators' staffs had been treated over this issue. He told me he was unaware just how despicably the more "conservative" denominations were acting on a basic human rights issue, and, in doing so, he assured me that my denomination would take a public stand in favor of equal rights for all human beings.
Unfortunately, Miss California thinks she can rationalize her institutionalized hate through statements such as:
Exactly, and this is nothing against gay people. I have a lot of friends that are gay. This is not a verbal attack on gay people.
Well, Carrie, how would those "friends" feel if they knew you believed they CHOOSE to be abominations? And, in the same interview, she has the nerve to talk about tolerance?
I think the key thing is tolerance, and I think Perez Hilton had, obviously, a hidden agenda, because of the reaction immediately after the pageant.
Until this interview, I was rather mortified by Perez Hilton and the reaction this stunt caused. But after reading this interview, I'm glad that Hilton actually asked the question. It helps me see even more just how cultist the Republican Party has become.
It seems that any pair of tits who hates gay people becomes an icon of the Republican Party. I just wonder if they'll nominate Miss California for Vice President in 2012.
Enough of my ranting; thanks for reading.