Carrie Prejean: Underwear Photos Won't Cost Miss CA the Crown

by Tina Kells | May 11, 2009 at 09:23 am

6862 views | 25 Recommendations | 14 comments

May 12 2009 - Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that Carrie Prejean will keep her Miss California crown.

Carrie Prejean has been living in an unfriendly spotlight since she answered Miss USA judge Perez Hilton's controversial gay marriage question at the Miss USA Pageant earlier this year. May 12 Miss USA Pageant owner Donald Trump confirmed that Miss California, Carrie Prejean, will keep her state crown despite the public release of racy semi nude photos of her in her underwear.

The California state pageant committee decided May 11, 2009 to ask Donald Trump, Miss USA Pageant owner, to decide Miss California's fate. after failing to reach its own decision.

Carrie Prejean was put at risk of losing her crown under allegations that she violated key parts of her Miss USA Pageant contract by becoming an anti-gay marriage spokesperson and posing for provocative semi-nude pictures in her underwear. Only her state title and crown are up for review, her national position as second runner up in the Miss USA Pageant is not yet at issue.

While Miss California's supporters believe she is being persecuted for standing up for Christian values it is coming to light that her attitudes may not have been shaped by the Bible at all, but rather could be the product of an ugly divorce between her parents more than a decade ago. Could the scars of that bitter divorce cost Miss California her crown?

The pageant has been investigating whether the 21-year-old San Diego native violated her contract by making public appearances with groups opposed to same-sex marriage. Prejean also failed to reveal to organizers that she posed in her underwear as a teenager.

Pageant organizers have scheduled a news conference on the matter for later Monday. There's no word on whether Miss USA contest owner Donald Trump will disqualify Prejean as first runner-up in the national contest.

Carrie Prejean has gained wide acceptance among anti-gay marriage supporters as the poster child for Christian values. In a now infamous Miss USA Pageant Q&A statement Carrie Prejean announced that she was raised to believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. In her controversial pageant answer Miss California NEVER once said she was raised with Christian values, she only said "that is how I was raised." It was only assumed at the time that to hold an anti-gay marriage belief she had to have been raised Christian.

In the May 12, 2009 press conference announcing the decision that Carrie Prejean would not be removed as Miss California she finally stood up and declared her Christian faith. Wearing a large gold coss and speaking of her Christian beliefs, Prejean said "my faith commands us to forgive one another." She then announced she forgave Perez Hilton and her other attackers for going after her character.

Carrie Prejean did not address the rumors of the angry details of her parents divorce but was quick to say that she was raised to believe that marriage should only happen between "one man and one woman." In defense of the moral questions surrounding her own behavoir, Miss California blamed opportunistic photographers saying "I am a model, I am a Christian."

But how Christian is Miss California really? Did her parents actually raise her to be true to her faith, or does her intolerance toward same sex marriage stem from something very un-Christian? The truth is in her parents' divorce.

It turns out that Miss California was not raised to be against gay marriage because of Christian values but rather because of parental bigotry expressed during a messy decade long divorce. Carrie Prejean and her sister were stuck in the middle of bitter arguments and accusations between her parents that lasted for more than a decade. A large part of that ugly divorce were persistent accusations of homosexuality from both sides.

Reports have also surfaced suggesting that Prejean's "origin of homophobia" stems from her parents' divorce, one filled with "homosexual allegations hurled by both sides," according to TMZ.com.

Carrie Prejean and her sister were placed right in the middle of the gay mud slinging between their parents and even entered eyewitness testimony against their father suggesting that he and his room mate were gay.

The papers also quote a court-appointed doctor who said "The mother questioned [within hearing of the girls] whether [her father] was a homosexual or had a homosexual roommate."

Carrie's mom says the "gay" allegations went both ways. In court papers dated May 16, 2000, a report from the court-appointed counselor says "The mother also alleges the father told the girls their stepfather was gay, that all men with mustaches are gay." The father's response: "The father acknowledges talking with the girls about the stepfather's brother being gay, not the stepfather."

Also in the docs -- a handwritten letter from Carrie's older sister, in which she recounts a weekend stay with her dad: "One time my sister & I went in the hallway of my dad's apartment, & his roommate's
door was open all the way & we saw [the roommate] in bed with another man. I don't think it's right for my sister & I to have to live that way."

Carrie Prejean never said that she was raised with strong Christian values that led her to be unable to support gay marriage. It seems that the real cause of Miss California's anti-gay marriage ideals are not based in Christianity but rather come from growing up in the middle of a bigoted war zone of intolerance between her parents.

It is sad really that people who claim to be Christian would use Miss California to further their own cause without ever once looking into the real foundation of Carrie Prejean's anti-gay attitudes. As a child Prejean was subjected to horrific mental abuse that "raised" her to be against same sex unions; it was not Christian values that shaped her belief but plain old fashion hurt feelings and human hatred.

Carrie Prejean is not an evil anti-gay marriage activist, she is a young woman who grew up in a war zone and who heard homosexuality blamed for the breakdown of her family from both of her parents. Christian values do not appear to have been at all present in her childhood; from divorcing parents to spitefull character assaults, Christian behavior was clearly absent from Miss California's upbringing.

I am glad that they let Carrie Prejean keep her Miss California crown, she has been victimized enough and the sins of her parents should not be visited on the daughter. But her not so quiet indignation toward those who she feels attacked her for standing up for her beliefs is a disappointment.

The right to love is a basic human right and Carrie Prejean does not seem to get this. By supporting the anti-gay marriage movement she is working to deny people a very basic right. As Miss California laments how people are not respecting her right to free speech she is openly supporting curtailing the rights of others to legally and spiritually consummate their love. That is hypocrisy.

When it comes to fighting for the most basic human rights, Miss California, nobody should ever just "agree to disagree."

Despite rampant speculation that the controversial yet still reigning (for now) Miss California would be stripped of her title, state pageant organizers have just announced the honor of deciding Prejean's fate would instead fall to Donald Trump, who will announce his decision at a press conference in New York tomorrow morning.

Prejean was invited by pageant organizers to attend this morning's press conference, but opted not to attend, instead hopping an early flight to New York.

5 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Yuliya Talmazan

at 10:25 on May 11th, 2009

I still think it's wrong to strip somebody of their title just for expressing an opinion that is not mainstream. She did not bash gay marriage. She just said that she believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman. She did not impose her views on anyone else and did not say anti-gay is the right way of thinking. While I don't agree with her opinion on gay marriage, I still think it takes guts to stick to one's believes at a beauty pageant, answering a question that by its nature can be controversial.

fan (not verified)

at 18:58 on May 11th, 2009

she violated the contract in several ways. if she gets away with this, what will the next contract mean to any state title holder?

jazzyzazzy

at 23:42 on May 11th, 2009

Whatever has happened to freedom of speech.This girls answered a question truthfully,brave considering what the question was. As for gay marreiges many people have the same opinion as her,but dont have the guts to say so because of the good old Politically correct hat. The poor girls been crowned twice, leave her to forget this fuss all about nothing,and enjoy her title thats what I say.

Edmund Jenks

at 05:05 on May 12th, 2009

Early Word: Trump Retains Prejean!

Early word has it that Donald Trump will RETAIN Carrie Prejean as Miss California for the following reasons:

1) Donald would not stand for a "runner-up" to hold the crown - Carrie won the competition fairly

2) Trump will not be bullied into a decision pursued by cultural extremeists and special interest groups proving that ... he IS in control.

3) Donald Trump believes that if Prejean was not such an example of beauty, she would not have received as much attention over her honest answer about her personal beliefs in a contest that was held AFTER she was awarded the crown in a fair competition for Miss California.

I read these comments from a credible source last night before retireing for the evening ... but lost the link for this mornings posting.

We will all see how correct this early word post actually was in just a little while.

Blue Crush

at 07:17 on May 12th, 2009

Trump: "Carrie will remain Miss California."

Blue Crush

at 08:07 on May 12th, 2009

Perez Hilton on Twitter: "Miss California is keeping her title! Donald Trump says all her topless photos are no big deal! http://bit.ly/fGMbH WTF????"

He later tweets "Thanks, Donald" in regards to being welcomed back next year."

Mr. J (not verified)

at 20:54 on May 13th, 2009

TELL PEREZ HILTON THAT PENIS IS FOR A VAGINA...

DLDog

at 11:22 on May 12th, 2009

Let me first say that I agree with her about gay marriage. However, I don't think she should've been allowed to keep the crown.

She claims to be Christian, so why did she allow herself at 17 years of age to have those pictures taken? Also, where were her parents when those pictures were taken?

Christian women also are to be modest in their clothing choices, no matter what. Nothing modest about those pics! The contract she signed means nothing to her.

Tina Kells

at 13:02 on May 12th, 2009

I feel the same way about the hypocrisy she expressed but I think that what she was put through by her parents largely shaped her views and I feel for her...

Carrie Prejean: Anti Gay Miss California Nude Pictures Hypocrisy

MR. J (not verified)

at 20:58 on May 13th, 2009

HELLO!!!! SHE DID NOT SAY THAT SHE IS SINLESS/SAINT... SHE IS

JUST GAINST GAY MARRIAGE... UNTIL WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE

UP THAT NATURE INTENDS THAT A MAN IS FOR A WOMAN. THAT IS WHY

THEY CAN REPRODUCE...

fayala

at 15:12 on May 12th, 2009

She gets points for sticking up for her beliefs.

However, the last time I checked, it isn't very Christian to pose nude for photographs.

MR. J (not verified)

at 20:59 on May 13th, 2009

DO YOU WANT TO SEE PEREZ HILTON IN NUDE? I RATHER SEE HER...

freedan (not verified)

at 15:23 on May 13th, 2009

go carrie, you hav a nice brighter idea in life...... i like you in whole, same sex marriage is not the natural way and broke the solemnness marriage, we always followed God's way.....

In yo face...shnizzel B nigga pie yummy yum yums!!! (not verified)

at 12:33 on May 15th, 2009

Look, if Carrie is against same sex marriage, then so be it. Who are you to judge her by what she believes. Look up the first amendment buddy. I mean I'm anti-gay...watching two men or women [whether they be bi-curious, straight, or gay] lock lips is disgusting...they don't leave room for Jesus.

And what if she posed semi nude? You know you liked it. Come on, what the heck do you think Victoria's Secret and Maxim is? They're MODELS that pose in lingerie...there is nothing degrading about that. Stop being jealous because you don't have the physic to look half as good as them.