Miss USA 2009 controversy

The Miss USA 2009 controversy centered on Miss California USA 2009 Carrie Prejean's answer to a question regarding same-sex marriage. During the ceremony, the five finalists were all asked about political issues such as how to fight domestic violence, whether to use taxpayer money to bail out corporations, whether to give immigrants access to health care, and whether or the United States should donate money to the government of Afghanistan to fund its elections. Kenya Moore, Miss USA 1993, has stated that the questions were "far too political and it's divisive as well".

At the time of the pageant same-sex marriage was legal in two US states. In California the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the In re Marriage Cases ruling; voters subsequently passed Proposition 8 which made it illegal. The topic was a focus of controversy in American politics at the time of the pageant.

During the Q&A portion of the contest, pageant judge Perez Hilton's question came to Prejean. Hilton asked:

Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?

Prejean responded:

Well I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one way or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. You know what, in my country, in my family, I think 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 and I believe that it should be between a man and a woman.

After the pageant, Perez Hilton published derogatory comments about Prejean on his blog, and told ABC news "She lost [the crown] because of that question. She was definitely the front-runner before that.", leading many to question Hilton's ethics and believe that her answer was counted heavily enough against her to make her lose the competition.

Hilton stated on April 20 that the pageant director, Keith Lewis, sent him a statement reading: "I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss CA USA 2009 believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman. Religious beliefs have no place in politics in the Miss CA family." This was denied by Lewis, who said he did not release such a statement. Lewis also said, "I support Carrie's right to express her personal beliefs even if they do not coincide with my own. I believe the subject of gay marriage deserves a great deal more conversation in order to heal the divide it has created."

...
Wikipedia