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Same-sex marriage rights is an issue that refuses to go away. The Miss USA contest helped to impassion the debate again. Miss California was asked her position on same-sex marriage. Her answer was controversial. She stated that she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. Unfortunately, her answer showed a lot of ignorance. She stated that gay people can choose to get married in her country. That is not true. Given the fact that millions of dollars were spent during the recent Proposition 8 fight in California, it is amazing she was not aware of the fact that same-sex marriages are not legal in California. While Miss California seems to be blaming her loss on being asked the question about same-sex marriages, some people feel it was her ignorance of the issue that might have cost her the Miss USA contest.

There is a cost to being racist. Political and community leaders are no longer able to openly display racist attitudes, or to make racist comments without paying a price. If Miss California lost the Miss USA contest because of her position on same-sex marriages, we might be seeing public figures paying a price for homophobia and homo-negativity.

For many years, people have been critical of American beauty pageants. Concerns have been expressed that beauty pageants emphasize physical beauty, and encourage very sexist views of women. There have even been criticisms of beauty pageants as portraying the ideal American woman as uninformed and unintelligent. Unfortunately, the Miss California’s answer in the Miss USA contest showed the ideal American woman to be uninformed and either homo-negative or homophobic. Miss USA is idealized by many young ladies. Young American women deserve a role model that is not openly homophobic.

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There is another reason why hate crimes legislation is getting a lot of attention. North Carolina Congressman Virginia Foxxx spoke against hate crimes legislation. Her comments were controversial, due to content and perceived insensitivity. She is reported as having said that it is a “hoax” that Matthew Shepard’s death was due to homophobia. The comments would have been insensitive at the best of times. Given the fact that Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s mother, was present when the comments were made, Virginia Foxx’s remarks are generally seen as grossly insensitive and inappropriate.

Virginia Foxx appears to be ignorant of some important facts about Matthew Shepard’s murder. He was targeted for crime, due to his perceived sexual orientation. The lawyer representing one of the men who was convicted in connection with Matthew Shepard’s death attempted to use gay panic as a legal defense against the charge of murder. When a person is targeted for crime, due to perceived sexual orientation, and the people who commit the crime attempt to get a reduced sentence due to the victim’s sexual orientation, a hate crime has taken place.

Congressman Virginia Foxx voted against the hate crimes bill, because she feels “it divides people in this country. It sets up special classes of people.” What Virginia Foxx does not seem to get is that hate crimes themselves set up special classes of people - those who are able to live in relative freedom, and those who are targets of systemic abuse, oppression, discrimination, and violence. Hate crimes legislation helps level the playing field for members of minority groups.

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