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Miss USA Pageant Guilty of Cheap Ratings Stunt at Expense of Miss California's Reputation

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 April 2009, 12:03 CDT

So-Called 'Celebrity Blogger' Perez Hilton and Pageant Producers

Owe Carrie Prejean Apology for Bigoted Behavior

WASHINGTON, April 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council President Tony Perkins today stated his admiration and support for Carrie Prejean - Miss California 2009 and first runner-up in this past weekend's Miss USA contest - for her candid defense of traditional marriage and her fortitude in the face of continued baseless personal attacks.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO)

"It's no secret that the Miss USA pageant's ratings and prestige have plummeted significantly over the past several years. Carrie Prejean has been victimized by this flagging production in a vain attempt to generate interest through controversy rather than substance," stated Perkins. Prejean's Christian beliefs were no secret to the organization; she quotes a biblical passage in her official bio on the Miss California USA website, citing Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," as a daily source of inspiration. This fact, combined with so-called "celebrity blogger" Perez Hilton's reputation for outlandishness and homosexual activism, make the origins of this entire firestorm suspect. "Mr. Hilton attempted to transform this event into his own personal political soapbox so he could mock the traditional values Miss California holds dear. Based on her home state's recent vote on Proposition 8, a majority of the Californians she represents feel the same as she does.

"Perez Hilton's vitriol at Miss Prejean display an appalling level of intolerance and bigotry toward not only her, but women in general and apparently anyone else who exercise their right to express support for the true definition of marriage," Perkins said. "Put simply, Miss Prejean is right: Marriage can only occur between one man and one woman. Mr. Hilton absurdly wants to translate his opposition to this truth into a standard for beauty pageants."

Hilton's diatribes have been met with relative silence, if not tacit approval, from the Miss USA organization, women's rights groups, free speech advocates and the homosexual community at large. "The stunning silence from groups like N.O.W. and the Human Rights Campaign leads me to question if these organizations regard Mr. Hilton, or at least his statements, as representative of their philosophy," said Perkins. "Most shameful, though, is that the Miss USA organization has remained mute in defending Miss California and condemning this deplorable hate speech by one of its own judges.

"At the very least, Mr. Hilton and the entire Miss USA organization owe Carrie Prejean a sincere apology," concluded Perkins.

SOURCE Family Research Council

Source: PR Newswire

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