ahahahahaha, Methinks her heavy earrings and drag makeup distracted her brain from firing correctly.

First lol@CaterpillarGirl. Second, comments like this make me question the intelligence of my fellow WOman. It amazes me that with all of this information out there, stupidity still manages to exist. Another strike for the State of California. First their governor, then they're broke and now their pageant representative is as bright as a walnut. Amazing!!

My fave part was "I think that I believe" like I think my opinion is

I'm not sure what this "opposite marriage" is, but I think we should ban that too. It sounds scary!

well she is entitled to her opinions,and that's what her beliefs are...like she said no one has to agree with her.

Pathetically, it seems like she was trying to make everyone happy! starting out by saying that she thought it was great to live in a country where everyone could choose, and then goes on to say that she feels that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

I think the worst thing is how people CHEERED after she spoke...

i thoroughly enjoy the complete gibberish these pageants provide for our entertainment

Perez Hilton (who I usually loathe) had a good response to this on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI1u6bZ39YE

First off, she didn't hear/understand the question. Her answer wasn't even in line with it. She wasn't asked her personal opinion.
Secondly, although I don't agree with her (I think gay marriage should be legal and it should be up to the individual churches/religions to decide whether they're going to marry two same-sex adults), I think that her crucifixion via gossip sites and video postings is ridiculous and uncalled for. She has a very conservative opinion, and was not articulate when answering. She's a young girl trying to be honest while not offending the gay man asking the question. She's not advocating anything or trying to change the law.
Thirdly, none of the other contestants had such divisive questions to respond to.
Q: Should the U.S.A. help Darfur? A: Yes!
Q: Should girls develop eating disorders to look like you? A: No!
Q: Are kittens with balls of yarn cute? A: Yes!
Q: Should gay marriage be legal in all 50 States? A: Not clear-cut for her when she is trying to answer honestly, please the judges, and win the crown.

opposite marriage....isnt that divorce?

I have to say that I am kind of annoyed that she is under such fire for voicing her opinion. I am gay so of course I want people to want equality for others but I do not want people to be afraid to share their thoughts and opinions. That's what America is about. Bullying her for being honest rather than applauding her for answering a loaded question honestly is not right. I wouldn't want someone to be dishonest or try to be cool and progressive rather than be honest and true to themselves for my benefit.

That's my B!

Everyone is entitle to their own opinion....

While I am FOR same-sex marriages, I am also FOR freedom of speech. I don't agree with her answer but I can also see that she was not trying to impose her beliefs on anyone she was just simply stating her opinion. Maybe she could have worded her answer a bit differently but all in all we shouldn't judge her for her beliefs. After all, isn't judging others beliefs causing all this "for" and "against" controversy in the first place?

I don't see anything divisive about this. She's entitled to her own opinion about it. It's not like the laws are going to change because somebody on Miss USA said so [holy crap could you IMAGINE the craziness if that actually happened?!!].

Brian, I think she is getting heat, because her answer isnt straight forward (no pun intended, its confusing!

I don't think anyone is criticizing her opinion, just her ability to express it. Part of the competition is answering questions in an articulate manner... which she failed miserabley at. And it's funny. Yes it is.

omgoodness did she even know what she was talking about, that's a tad embarrassing she is older than me and even i know how to answer a simple question, that didn't make much sense.....that being said of corse she is entitled to her own opinion but she didn't really concentrate on what she was saying, she was like in this country we have same sex marriages but i don't believe in them and neither does my country......?

I am totally all for people voicing their opinions, problem was that's not really what she did. She was rambling and incoherent. Even if she ended up saying she was all for gay-marriage, she still would be getting flack because HOW she spoke not because of her belief.

everybody knows Miss USA is like the D-grade, two-dollar Miss America. not surprising.

The Iraq, such as.

I haven't noticed a lot of people criticizing her opinion (everyone is allowed to be a bigot), just criticizing her lack of speaking skills - "like, such as" Miss Teen South Carolina in 2007. She sounds like an idiot.

I disagree with her opinion, but I empathize with her because this is such a tough question to answer compared to what the other contestants and pageant girls in general are asked. She knew that no matter how she answered the question, she would upset some of the judges/viewers, so I am not surprised she flubbed her wording a bit.

Oh and Miss USA was from ECU! Woot! Woot! *embarrassing victory dance*

I don't think people should focus so much on her answer as how it was articulated. Improper grammar, verbs and adjectives ("opposite marriage", anyone?) are always deplorable on a nationally televised stage. Once again the pageant circuit proves that most (generalization, please don't throw your tiaras at me!) of these girls are just pretty faces. If you like a lot of product on your faces.

I don't think anything was worse than arizona's answer to her question.

Do you think the United States should adopt a universal healthcare system?
"That's a matter of integrity."

uh..?

Granted the girl is entitled to her own opinion - but it is a shame that she could not express that more eloquently.

It is also a shame that she has such a narrow minded view of the world.

I think she could have answered the question a bit more intelligently.

Wait, are people cheering or booing at the end?

she says we live in a country where you can choose -- you CAN'T. not every state recognizes gay unions as marriages. I don't care that she thinks marriage should be between a man and a woman, but her first statement is simply incorrect!

I was really mad at Perez Hilton for basically calling her stupid for saying this. Yes, she wasn't very eloquent.. but I always believe it's better to say your honest opinion.

And actually no, I don't think they're booing..

Perez Hilton said the most AWFUL things about her. If he did not want her to voice her honest opinion and beliefs, he should not have asked that question. I really think gay marriage is a federal issue, as that is really the only way for all gays and lesbians to have equal rights. I have never been a Perez Hilton fan, and am certainly not going to become one now! He should not have made those comments. Don't give what you can't take!

haha bella!!

i agree with a couple of people that commented, while whether a same sex couple wants to get married is their business, her opinion is her opinion. isnt this a free country where anyone can feel about anything as they please? its not like her opinion will change anything anyway.

I'm happy to hear the boo-ing that started before the ignoramuses in the crowd started to clap. What an uncalled for answer. This isnt a political debate where you take your 'stance' this is a pagent where these women compete to represent the U.S.A. and just like Perez Hilton said on the news, she could have answered much more politely and left her personal opinion out of it.

Oh, and.. Opposite Marriage? Wow.

wow, I blogged about this earlier. the whole thing is ridiculous... I find Perez annoying for asking such an odd question. First of all: it's not our business whether she is pro-gay marriage or not... just like it's not our business whether she is pro abortion or not. Secondly- it was dumb of her to give such a polarizing answer. DUH.

I saw this earlier today--she was a few contestants behind Miss Arizona who was just as incoherent. When asked if the US should have universal health care as a right of citizenship, she started talking about integrity and the way she was raised, and politics left, right, or middle, is an issue of integrity, blah, blah....huh? you tube miss arizona--it's cringe-worthy.

but Miss CA wins for best phrase. I am going to use the term opposite marriage whenever possible.

I'm so embarrassed that this nitwit is from my hometown! I don't have a problem with her belief, she's entitled to it. If she had given an intelligent and thoughtful response, I wouldn't think she was such a moron. Seriously though...opposite marriage?

Being able to form a complete sentence should be a bare minimum requirement for these contestants. Reading that text is depressing.

And btw, this has nothing to do with her viewpoint, and everything to do with her inability to express it.

To that end, Perez Hilton needs to stfu.

Her opinion is her opinion. She is entitled to say what she wants. However, Perez Hilton can bite it. Seriously, he thinks it's okay to call a woman a b*tch; yet, he'd cry a river if she called him a derogatory term regarding his sexuality. He's a pig.

Don't ask questions where you fear the answer.

Candace87, she would've been a liar, if she said what you wanted her to say. The question wasn't appropriate at all. It was entrapment for ratings.

Yes, Valova82, we're broke. It's no laughing matter. But, remember, it'll trickle down to your neighborhood soon. Enjoy it now.

Well, she just sounds incoherent and not eloquent (I thought that one of the requirement is for the contestants to be rather eloquent), I don't have a problem with her belief at all.

As for Perez, I don't even care about what he thinks so I'm not even checking out his 'response.' Not a fan of his. AT ALL.

Personally, I think she deserves to lose the Miss USA title. Clearly, she shouldn't be representing the USA when she alienated a large group of people in the U.S. Also, she had some nerve to say what she did to Perez Hilton's face, a gay man. She could have expressed her opinion more respectfully, and with grace. She was rude, and practically hostile. I'm glad she's not Miss USA. She's a disgrace.

I don't think she should be punished for answering with her honest opinion, we should at least be able to make fun of her for not even understanding the question and that wonderful term, "opposite marriage". that just made my day.

(yes, I loathe beautiful-yet-stupid beauty contest participants).

She's entitled to her own opinions, but I don't think that someone who obviously can't give public speeches should be representing her country.

I have to say I'm kind of appalled at people sh*tting on her for having an opinion that differs from there's. SO what if she is not for gay marriage. She is allowed to have that opinion. Its not fair that you make people who have a different opinion from the majority feel like they should just shut up and put up...or lie.
The only error i see here is that she called it 'opposite marriage'. That was pretty....weird.

It didn't come across to me that she was against gay people as somebody said up there^, but rather that she was opposed to gay marriage. I don't understand the uproar, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and I don't think her opinion is offensive at all, it's not like she say 'hang all gays'...

What is Perez Hilton doing judging a beauty contest?

Update: "In an exclusive interview with FOXNews.com's Courtney Friel, Miss California says her phone has been ringing off the hook with people offering her support after she took on a question about gay marriage on Sunday night's Miss USA telecast."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517228,00.html

did she sound like a moron?? yes.

did she voice her honest opinion to the biggest d-bag in hollywood and on national tv?? yes and good for her.

Look, we live in a country with free speech. I'm very progressive, and probably wouldn't choose to be friends with someone like this because I think homophobia is unacceptable. But, she's entitled to her views.

Still - it's a real disappointment to see someone near my age championing discrimination. I expect my homophobic parents to not get it, but not someone who is modern enough to know better. This isn't a normal right-left issue, we're talking about people's right to find love and get fulfillment from life.

Also? To me the real jerk here is Perez Hilton. He called her a "dumb b****" in a videoblog on his website. It was an honor for him to be asked to be a judge, and he proceeded to disrespect their organization in an embarrassing, public way. Really classy, Perez.