Many of you have already heard about the controversy surrounding the Miss America pageant. For those of you who don't already know, this clip is from the pageant itself.
And here is a video blog that Perez Hilton posted shortly after the pageant.
Some general considerations:
First, this question should never have been posed to Miss California. It was a politically-charged question that has no place in this context. Since the Miss America Pageant is something that both gay men and conservative Christians can jointly enjoy, this question serves to divide people precisely when they can enjoy a rare opportunity to enjoy something in common.
Second, Miss California answered the question posed to her in a fair, polite, sincere, and honest fashion.
Third, Perez Hilton is a low-class character that has no business serving as a judge in such a context.
Fourth, Perez Hilton's venom is a vile abuse of the position that he enjoyed as a judge. He has been humbled by the grace of Miss California.
Fifth, Perez Hilton has hit the gay marriage movement in the knees with a hammer. Whether or not one supports gay marriage, one must concede that this will do significant damage to the cause. We have abundant anecdotal evidence that Mr. Hilton's feelings are—if not universal—not especially uncommon. I understand that negative emotions exist on the other side, as well, but I would maintain that there is a troubling degree of acceptance in the public domain for sentiments that are in the orbit of those of Mr. Perez.
In general, it is sad to see that this issue is creating this kind of raw, emotive hatred in such a public way. It is a shame that such an event must be politicized like this. Can we truly tolerate honest differences of opinion regarding gay marriage? Global warming? Obama's presidency? It is as if political litmus tests are now in effect in apolitical contexts. This is, I believe, a consequence of the radical left mantra from the sixties that "the personal is political." This is simply not always true. Sometimes the personal is just plain personal.
Michael Valle
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 