The fact that Carrie Prejean even had 15 minutes of fame can be directly attributable to Perez Hilton (and not just because he asked the question). Let me explain why.
Here's the original exchange between the two:
Perez Hilton: “Vermont recently became the 4th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?”
Prejean: “Well I think its 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. And you know what, 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 and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.”
Hardly the kind of "God Hates Fags!" response you'd expect from someone like the "Reverend" Fred Phelps of the so-called Westboro Baptist Church. What I understood Ms. Prejean to say is, "I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I think it's great that people can choose, but on the other hand, I was brought up to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. And I think I still believe that."
She was almost apologetic, not wanting to offend anyone ("No offense to anybody out there...".) She started to say, "in my country," but corrected herself and said, "in my family," acknowledging that her family doesn't necessarily feel the way the country does.
Was her answer politically correct? No, but I didn't detect any overt animosity towards gays.
Then Perez Hilton upped the ante. Less than an hour after the contest, he got on his blog and called Carrie "a dumb b*tch" and later a "c*nt."
Had he simply let it go, Carrie Prejean would have been just another runner-up in the Miss USA constest. But by reacting the way he did, coupled with the media frenzy, I think Prejean was driven straight into the arms of the National Association for Marriage. Of course, that got everybody dander up, which led to the release of the photos, raising the stakes even higher. It was no longer a case of ridiculing Miss California USA; she had to be destroyed (or at least dethroned).
So why am I spending more than twice as much time belaboring this whole affair than the 15 minutes of fame involved?
My point is this: The gay rights movement does itself a disservice by drawing these kinds of lines in the sand and taking an in-your-face, "my way or the highway" attitude.
Many gays like to compare their struggle to the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's. Imagine, if you will, the following statement made by the daughter of an avowed segregationist:
“Well I think its great that black and white Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where blacks and whites can choose same-race marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between whites. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a white man and a white woman. Thank you very much.”
Can you imagine the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King calling this woman a "dumb b*tch" or a "c*nt"?
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The fact that Carrie Prejean even had 15 minutes of fame can be directly attributable to Perez Hilton (and not just because he asked the question). Let me explain why.
ReplyDeleteHere's the original exchange between the two:
Perez Hilton: “Vermont recently became the 4th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?”
Prejean: “Well I think its 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. And you know what, 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 and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.”
Hardly the kind of "God Hates Fags!" response you'd expect from someone like the "Reverend" Fred Phelps of the so-called Westboro Baptist Church. What I understood Ms. Prejean to say is, "I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I think it's great that people can choose, but on the other hand, I was brought up to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. And I think I still believe that."
She was almost apologetic, not wanting to offend anyone ("No offense to anybody out there...".) She started to say, "in my country," but corrected herself and said, "in my family," acknowledging that her family doesn't necessarily feel the way the country does.
Was her answer politically correct? No, but I didn't detect any overt animosity towards gays.
(cont'd)
Then Perez Hilton upped the ante. Less than an hour after the contest, he got on his blog and called Carrie "a dumb b*tch" and later a "c*nt."
ReplyDeleteHad he simply let it go, Carrie Prejean would have been just another runner-up in the Miss USA constest. But by reacting the way he did, coupled with the media frenzy, I think Prejean was driven straight into the arms of the National Association for Marriage. Of course, that got everybody dander up, which led to the release of the photos, raising the stakes even higher. It was no longer a case of ridiculing Miss California USA; she had to be destroyed (or at least dethroned).
(cont'd)
So why am I spending more than twice as much time belaboring this whole affair than the 15 minutes of fame involved?
ReplyDeleteMy point is this: The gay rights movement does itself a disservice by drawing these kinds of lines in the sand and taking an in-your-face, "my way or the highway" attitude.
Many gays like to compare their struggle to the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's. Imagine, if you will, the following statement made by the daughter of an avowed segregationist:
“Well I think its great that black and white Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where blacks and whites can choose same-race marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between whites. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a white man and a white woman. Thank you very much.”
Can you imagine the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King calling this woman a "dumb b*tch" or a "c*nt"?