Miss California will keep title, Trump decides [Updated]

Miss California Carrie Prejean, whose comments about gay marriage set off a firestorm, will keep her crown, Donald Trump announced today.

The controversy began nearly a month ago, when Prejean was asked about her views on same-sex marriage during the nationally televised Miss USA pageant. Although she said she believed people were entitled to do as they liked, she said marriage should only be recognized as an institution between a man and a woman.

Trump said he had no problem with Prejean's comments.  "She gave a very honest answer when asked a tough question," he said at a New York press conference with Prejean sitting next to him. "It was the same answer the president of the United States gave... She has to be commended."

Trump also said he reviewed semi-nude photos of Prejean that have surfaced in recent days and concluded they should not disqualify her. "We are in the 21st century," said Trump, who owns the pageant. "We have determined that the pictures taken were fine."

Trump said Prejean and California pageant officials and Prejean have met in the last few hours and "are getting along very well."

For her part, Prejean attacked some of her critics as spreading "hateful" rumors about her and said she was simply standing up for her beliefs. 

[Updated at 9:15 a.m.:] Prejean singled out Perez Hilton, the Hollywood blogger and pageant judge who asked her the gay marriage question. She accused Hilton, a gay rights activist, of having a "hidden personal agenda" and that he knew the question would be "politically charged."

She also said she's received much support from strangers for her outspoken views and said the situation shows the importance of speaking out.

“I stated my honest belief,” she said.

Pageant officials had said that when Prejean became the darling of the anti-same-sex-marriage movement, she began shirking her duties as Miss California. They say she missed appearances, including the filming of a public service announcement the pageant put together featuring former and current Miss USA, Miss California and Miss California Teen winners speaking about the beauty and diversity of the people of California. Organizers said she was generally unreachable by pageant officials -- technically a breach of her contract, they said.

Prejean's backers insist she is being unfairly vilified by pageant organizers for a viewpoint that is far from extreme (California voters last year approved Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage). 

Officials with the National Organization for Marriage say Prejean is not a paid spokeswoman. She did attend the Washington, D.C., news conference at which the group unveiled the ad featuring her Miss USA pageant clip. And she lent her voice to a recorded call the organization used to thank supporters and solicit contributions. 

"Carrie has always been a spokesperson for herself. She believes what we believe," said Brian Brown, the group's executive director. "We're proud of her. . . . She's standing up for marriage and against the bullying we heard at this press conference today."

-- Carla Hall and Shelby Grad

Related:

Miss California USA pageant is rocked on its high heels


Photo: Donald Trump places a ribbon on Miss California, Carrie Prejean, during a press conference, where Trump announced that Prejean will keep her title despite controversy over semi-nude photos. Credit: Timothy A. Cleary / AFP / Getty Images

Comments

[keith]

IT'S THE 20TH CENTURY AND NUDITY IS OK AND SO IS HOMOPHOBIA ACCORDING TO DONALD TRUMP AND OBAMA!

[Maranatha]

This is awesome news! It is also incredible of the amount of name-calling and hateful and life-threatening speech by the homosexuals and their sympathizers (the "homosexual mafia"). Just incredible. Why does the American public have to be forced to be tolerant about polictical issues, whereas the homosexual mafia shows themselves as intolerant? The homosexual mafia lives by a double standard as well as all liberals. When Christians speak out against the homosexual lifestyle, the liberals and the homosexual mafia consider that hate speech. But when the liberals and the homosexual mafia threatens the life of a Christian woman, that is not hate speech????

It's also funny how Carrie gets picked out and scorned for her photos. Miss Rhode Island did the same kind of pictures. Where is the media scorn for Miss Rhode Island? See...another example of the "double standard".

Remember: Good always triumphs over evil.

[Scott]

Prejean - what an embarrassment. Or is it Trump that's the problem?

Actually campaigning against same-sex marriage in churches, and being a spokesperson for the anti-gay NOM organization?
This went WAY over the line. Having an opinion is one thing - going on tour to promote those opinions is another.

So, Miss California is now allowed (encouraged?) to campaign on divisive, hateful messages?

Shame. Really, that is very sad.

[Ruby Jackson]

He let the coke head keep her crown, why wouldn't he let the stripper? It was a no brainer.

[Bobby]

In a country where it touts 'Land of the Free...' and the flag-bearer of free speech and human rights, the very fact that her comment drew any kind of reaction smacked of hypocrisy, but then, we all already know that. Regardless which way she went, she'd be attacked, if not by Californians, then the rest of America. What ever happened to respect of opinions?

[AfreeQueen]

Judge #8 is the Poster Child for Homosexuals and why homosexuality is a sin. Carrie was so right that the problem is the guilt in his heart, when you are doing wrong that burden of guilt will weight your down. Judge #8 should align himself with the advocates of Amnesty for Illegal Entry into the United States. They cause and tactics are similar, we have been getting away with sins and criminal acts for generations, and based on that seniority we should now be rewarded by going to the head of the line and getting what we want. The two groups will never be respected in a civilized society until they ATONE for their sins and wrong doing. In America atonement is an important part of the justice, we are so proud of. You MUST first admit you have sinned or entered the US illegally, before you can be granted the privilege of justice.
Judge #8; make it stellar clear why he is the Poster Child for what not to be as a human being. You cannot steal your rights and then deny others the same legitimate rights. Take the Log out of your eye, Judge #8!

While expressing her true self, Miss Prejean was cool, calm, in control of her heart and emotions, While Judge # 8 was a raving , confused child who is still trying to get acceptance from the parents who let him down. Miss Prejean is EVERTHING, everthing, everything…. Judge number 8 wishes to be and have.

Go back into the closet and face yourself, judge number eight is certainly not GAY, his heart is too heave to be gay.

[Ed C.]

She stood for what she believes, that should not be a reason her crown should be taken away.

She earned her Miss California crown. Fairly.

And I thought the LGBT crowd were "tolerant"...

[Paul]

This is a good thing. Firing her would have made her a martyr. Now she's just a self-important dunce who can't even fulfill her pageant duties. Her opinion on any subject is now worthless.

[Axe]

I love you Miss California. You can never make all people happy, so next time they ask you a political question just answer "I want world peace."

[Very simple]

Gotta love a Bible-thumping clueless beauty queen who goes around showing off her boobs in public. What a classy Christian role model!

[Anthony]

Concentrate on the issue. It's not about what she said, or the pictures which surfaced. It's about a person who signed an agreement, and a person who is not showing up to events she had committed to. It makes me wonder if the model for marriage, another commitment, would also have trouble in the "I do" department.

And while we're at it, WHY do we as a people still accept and condone "Beauty Pageants?" The entire concept of these events needs to be revisited. How can Trump use the modern world clause, and then support the old approach of these type of events. That's the bigger question which needs to be answered.

[Michael Mellgard]

Personal Beliefs are fine..but one should always be prepared to defend them. She is a public figure for "Misss America" and what does America stand for? Bigotry and small minds? Ignorance? Seems we are going back in time. Yes, this is the 21st Century. So, lets loose our 18th Century mind-set. Why not just do away with these sexist beauty contests?

[More hateful bimbos]

So nice to know this bimbo thinks straight child molesters, rapists, serial killers and the rest all deserve the right to get married!

Shows which god she is worshipping

[Mike]

She has a right to live whatever kind of lifestyle she chooses, but I would not want her around my children.

[c]

She can't help being brought up as a bigot. I blame her parents.

What's next, a Miss Teen California that believes in segregation? That should be okay since she would be standing up for her beliefs, right?

[hypo critical]

LOL, Donald says OBAMA, the child of an inter-racial couple, agree with the NUDIE BEAUTY QUEEN! Thank you Obama for your HYPOCRISY! You are a leader that TRUMP can bank on.

WANT TO TALK ABOUT TOLERANCE? The only people I don't not tolerate are those who are intolerant. It's that simple.

Trump is an old man, the type that watches fox news. He is part of a dying breed, I don't blame him, but OBAMA is another matter. He is a hypocrit!

[Jason]

The same-sex marriage crowd has shown that they only believe in Freedom of Speech when it agrees with their extreme agenda. Miss California expressed the same opinion that their talking head darling, Obama, stated, too. Recent polls show that 70% of Californians agree with her.

I'm glad she hasn't wilted in the face of the extremist attacks. Her strength and conviction show that she is deserving of her crown. Despite the zero scores given her by the vindictive maniac Perez Hilton, which clearly cost her the Miss USA crown, she has remained graceful and steadfast.

The extreme gay agenda crowd has hurt themselves considerably through their embarrassing performance over the past few weeks.

[Lydia]

Why do most of the comments on this blog not suprise me!.....liberal newspaper!! so is it 's my understanding this is no longer a free country...where one can say whatever they want..god forbid one should disagree with the gays!!.....oh wait a second I mentioned God..bring on the ACLU! now.

[Blue247]

I personally don't care what Ms. Prejan thinks. It will not alter how I live or what I believe. This was a pure business/money decision on Trump's part. The Miss USA/Miss Universe pageants were dieing a slow death financially before this occurred. Controversy begets publicity and in true Trump form he ceased on the opportunity to use this situation to his advantage. Let Ms. Prejan continue to speak. Everyone on this planet eventually becomes their own worst enemy. She is only marginalizing herself into a corner she can not back out of by siding with the right wingers and isolating herself from everyone else. In a few years she will have talked herself into irrelevancy. And by then, doing Playboy where the only thing people will remember about her, are her fake breasts.

[WT]

Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. Everyone has an opinion either right or wrong. California voted not allow gay marriages, so why are so many of you voicing negative opinions against Miss California and Donald Trump? Why aren't you responding against the idiot that asked the question about Miss California opinion on gays? I say way to go Miss California and Donald.

[Truth]

Truth is not hatred. Truth is truth. I can warn you that if you jump out of a ten-story building, you will die. That is truth, not hatred.

The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God. We are told this repeatedly in the Old Testament (e.g. Genesis and Leviticus) and the New Testament (e.g. Romans 1, 2nd Corinthians, Jude). I encourage all homosexuals to repent before they are judged. There is no hatred here, just truth.

I can also warn homosexuals that if they continue in their sins, they will face eternal judgment and separation from God. This is truth, not hatred. In fact, my heart's desire is that homosexuals repent of their sins and spend eternity in heaven. "He who sins is a slave to sin," Jesus said. Only He can set you free.

[Leta]

Never mind Vanessa Williams who was stripped of her title because of inappropriate photos. As long as you're white with god on your side, you can lie, preach hate, break your terms of agreement, not perform your duties and still keep your job.

I wish i had those type of privileges.

[Sten]

I'm happy that this miss defended her believes. Keep the dumb blonde stereotype up high darling!

[claranicole]

The more I read, the more it saddens me to see how this lynch mob is attacking Carrie Prejean just because she answered a very politicized question, truthfully. Just because she believes that a marriage should be between a man and a woman, doesn’t mean that she thinks “straight child molesters, rapists, serial killers and the rest all deserve the right to get married” like someone accused her of, and stop giving pointless unmerited arguments. So, the lesson learned is to “LIE” if you know most people are not going to like your answer, for the sole reason of being politically correct, never mind the truth, put your values aside, they mean nothing. So remember, always LIE and you’ll be okay… How sad.

[David Collins]

Turns out to be all about Donald Trump. Isn't everything?

You can't make this stuff up...except you can. In novels.