“Miss Beverley Hills” thinks God wants her gay friends dead? City decries statement, disavows pageant
”The City Council was shocked to see statements made by a beauty pageant contestant under the name of Beverly Hills who does not live in nor represent our city. We are dismayed by any potential association with the City of Beverly Hills, which has a long history of tolerance and respect.”
Nancy Krasne, Mayor of Beverley Hills, CA, in a statement posted to the famous city’s website. She is reacting a published report of one Lauren Ashley, who is allegedly “Miss Beverely Hills” and is set to compete in the Miss California USA pageant. Ashley was quoted making statements that represent the most anti-gay portion of Leviticus, a section of the Bible ‘s Old Testament that contains many prohibitions and proclamations of all kinds. Some interpret the passage, and Ashley’s statement, as condemning gays to a bloody death. (BeverleyHills.org)
”The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, ‘If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.’ The Bible is pretty black and white…. If he says that having sex with someone of your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that’s a pretty stern warning, and he knows more than we do about life…. That isn’t really the issue. I have a lot of friends that are gay, and … I have a lot of friends who have different views, and we share our views together. There’s no hate between me and anyone.”
Original statements posted on Fox News‘ website section called “Pop Tarts” that reflects on the anti-gay sentiments of Lauren Ashley, a 23-year-old who claims to hold the beauty queen title of “Miss Beverly Hills.” The reporter says she was asked if her anti-gay statements were going to interfere with her tiara.
In the orginal article, Fox News said Ashley she was a big fan of the former Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, who said onstage during the Miss USA competition that marriage is between a man and a woman. Prejean followed that with a speaking tour at numerous conservative churches and political events where she continued to repeat her anti-gay equality beliefs. She also had a book published where she repeated her political beliefs. Ashley was quoted as describing Prejean’s actions as: “I think that’s gorgeous.” Prejean all but disappeared when sexually explicit videos of her surfaced while she was trying to sue the Miss California USA pageant.
Fox News has since changed the text of their posted story, possibly to tone down the heated reaction that it caused across the internet. The Mayor of Beverley Hills says the city has no ties to Ashley, a resident of Pasadena, CA.(Fox News)
”I don’t agree with her, but I will fight to the death for her right to have her opinion.”
Keith Lewis, the openly gay director of The Miss California USA pageant system. According to the LA Times, Lewis says that Ashley was questioned by a reporter at a birthday party for Paris Hilton, and ”has since been unfairly pilloried.” He has confirmed that Ms Ashley, and all applicants for the pageant, are allowed to pick whatever California city it is that they want to represent, and that in the upcoming pageant, she will wear a Miss Beverley Hills sash. (LA Times)
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