Guest Author - Gina Cowley
The well publicized exchange between Carrie Prejean and Mario Lavandeira - Miss California and “Perez Hilton” respectively - during the judge’s inquiry portion of the Miss America competition elucidates a glaring misconception in the ongoing debate over religion, politics and homosexuality in the United States. A profession of Christian faith with regards to homosexuals and marriage is not bigotry per se. Bigotry encompasses unbridled intolerance against all others. I surmise many American Christians find it quite tiresome being labeled bigots for professing a belief in their interpretation of the Bible’s literal admonition against homosexuality within the confines of law and public policy as registered voters in this country.
Whether politics or Providence led to Miss California’s receipt of the hot topic question from openly gay and known to be antagonistic judge Lavandiera regarding marital rights and whether or not American homosexuals are to them entitled, one thing is certain: Lavandiera’s appalling and bigoted response to Prejean’s opinion is precisely the type of vitriol which has harmed and continues to harm this country. It is the cancer that divides us. We have witnessed it from all sides on many issues and now we have witnessed it from one of pop culture’s most offensive, vocal and visual personalities.
Carrie Prejean’s response to the question regarding her opinion of same sex marriage was one of the most non-bigoted articulations of faith televised on the subject in quite some time. She likewise professed pride to live in a country in which law and process make things possible even when we do not agree. Lavandiera’s expression of shock upon hearing Miss California’s opinion bespoke his ignorance on matters of Christianity and public expressions of faith. One of his main complaints is that she had the nerve to be “so politically incorrect.” Hubris in ignorance is not well tolerated in the press “Perez,” just so you know. It was a beauty pageant, not the Coliseum and you’re no gladiator.
Most ironically, between the self professed “queen” and the beauty queen, it is he who depicts the bigot. Lavandiera has self-righteously labeled Prejean a “dumb B” and “the C word.” He has mounted an online attack against her and presumably against individuals like her (and “Christian” is not what he meant when he called her ‘the C word’ ladies). Typically he has offered nothing in support (other than his disagreement with her position) of his assertion that Prejean is in fact a “dumb B” and “the C word” – terms many women find highly offensive and terms men and women, gay and straight, should find extremely offensive in the context within which they have been used by Lavandiera. America must hope that all which spews from his bigoted foul mouth as so falls from the mouths of all bigots find no purchase in the ears of those who hear. He screams for rights while riding rough shod over the rights of those with whom he does not agree – which is intensely hypocritical and bigoted indeed.
Given where you fall on this beauty pageant controversy speaks volumes about your understanding and opinion of constitutional rights in this country. In America, things are not always as they appear – except when it comes to pretentious, cliché’, vitriolic individuals who consider themselves a moral authority when it comes to issues of grave importance to the citizens of this nation.
And in this case, that individual was not Miss California.
