pagent stuff

I am secretly a big fan of pagents- probably because I grew up watching my sisters compete in them. I love the gowns and the talent portion, the interviews and the anticipation... the swimsuit part I could do without, but then how would they ever get males in the audience?!
Anyway, I did't see the Miss America Pagent this year but I heard about the controversy and had to share. Apparently a judge asked Miss California her opinion on gay marriage and this was her answer.
Gay marriage is a difficult topic for me because I have some very dear friends who are gay and I want nothing more than their happiness. However, I was raised very strictly religious and I have a difficult time reconciling the two ideas. But how I feel is beside the point.
What I admire about Miss California is that despite the possibility that her answer would destroy her chance at winning, she held true to her beliefs and shared her honest opinion on the subject. Whether the topic is gay marriage, abortion, the war in Iraq or any other argumentative subject, holding true to your beliefs in front of millions of people, knowing you would be raked through the coals by the press either way, takes a lot of guts. This beauty queen has an impressive strength of character!