Pageant Official Quits Over Miss. Calif

(AP)  Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler resigned as co-executive director of the Miss California USA pageant on Wednesday, saying she no longer believes in the organization because of pageant owner Donald Trump's decision to let the state's controversial title holder keep her crown.

After Miss California USA Carrie Prejean created a stir with her response to a question about gay marriage at last month's Miss USA pageant, questions about her work with gay marriage opponents and nearly nude photos taken of her when she was a teenager put her title in jeopardy.

At a news conference Monday, Moakler angrily accused Prejean of violating the contract she signed with pageant organizers, but Trump announced Tuesday that Prejean would keep her title.

Moakler, the Miss USA of 1995, said she decided after Trump's news conference to quit.

"I cannot with a clear conscience move forward supporting and promoting the Miss Universe Organization when I no longer believe in it or the contracts I signed committing myself as a youth," she said in a statement issued by her publicist. "I want to be a role model for young women with high hopes of pageantry, but now feel it more important to be a role model for my children."

Trump's senior executive assistant, Rhona Graff-Ricci, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prejean, the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, created a brouhaha when she responded to a question by celebrity judge Perez Hilton by saying, "I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

After gay rights advocates took her to task, California pageant officials said Prejean asked for permission to elaborate on her answer and they agreed. But then, they said, she began speaking without their permission in front of crowds opposed to gay marriage, including her San Diego church and the National Organization for Marriage.

Keith Lewis, the state pageant's co-executive director, said Prejean also began missing Miss California events she was contractually obligated to attend.

Trump on Tuesday said there had been miscommunication among Prejean, pageant organizers and the outside groups, but added that "the communication problem, I believe, is totally solved."

Trump defended Prejean's statements that marriage should be exclusive to men and women, saying her position was similar to President Barack Obama's.

Photos of Prejean in her underwear, taken when she was 17, emerged after the Miss USA pageant.

Moakler said Monday that pageant officials were not as unhappy with what the photos of Prejean showed as they were with the fact she didn't disclose their existence, as the contract she signed required.

Trump, however, while acknowledging the photos were "risque," said he didn't think they were bad enough to get her booted.

Lewis said Wednesday he was saddened by Moakler's resignation but "would always respect the convictions that brought her to this place."

Prejean spokeswoman Melany Ethridge said Prejean, who turned 22 on Wednesday, was traveling and hadn't had a chance to speak with pageant officials since Moakler's resignation.

Moakler, an actress and model, posed nude for Playboy magazine but not until several years after she was Miss USA. The December 2001 Playmate of the Month said in her Playboy bio that her turnoffs include, "People who lie, cheat and are dishonest."

[amdphoto]

I am so glad to see Mr. Trump support that Miss California can make a statement about her beliefs just as much as Perez can ask a question he wishes. Way to go Miss California! There are more people than not that feel exactly as you do. If Perez would pay attention he would have already known this. Perez should be ashamed of his bad behavior. The very thing he says he doesn't want against him (calling names and being made an outcast) he attempted to do Miss California and it backfired. Shame on you Perez.

[mickeybr]

I agree who cares, but what I care about when these queers start adopting children. It should be a crime for two male queers to adopt a male baby, what age would either of dad or dad start doing tricks on the poor child. Since the two queers of nature can?t reproduce the baby is from straight parents, that obviously didn?t love the baby enough to keep it, but that?s not the baby?s fault.
Posted by banders6 at 5:12 AM : May 14, 2009

---------------------------------

Euthanasia is the only hope for you.

[ladypirate2]

cyclingpete: I say that that sexual relationships between two men or two women are wrong because the Holy Bible, the Word of God, says they are wrong in Leviticus 18: 22 and 20: 13 and in Romans 1: 18 - 32 and in 1 Corinthians 6: 9 - 10. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 10 also says that they which do those things will not inherit the kingdom of God! I didn't say it, the Holy Bible says it!

Yes, I say that gay activists have an agenda! Their agenda is to try to force us straight people to say that their lifestyle is right and normal and blessed by God when we know it's not! I don't advocate violence against gays, in fact I'm very much against it. I think they should be treated decently and like human beings. But that doesn't mean that we should accept their lifestyle as normal. I'm also very much against the insidious way that gays are trying to sneak tolerance of their lifestyle to our children through books like "Heather Has Two Mommies" etc. That is what I call their "agenda".

And as for your questions about why does God allow war, etc, I know that you can't understand this but He never promised that we wouldn't go through troubles and trials. He promised to go with us through those trials. Jesus said that he will never leave us nor forsake us. When bad things happen to us is when we should have faith that God is with us and that He'll help us through to the end. We should just trust Him and know that He'll work it out.

[cyclingpete]

I am so sick of these so called "Christians" always making excuses for their actions when they screw up..."We all make mistakes"..."We're only human"..blah blah....And inappropriate pictures taken at 17? Where were the parents? Why would they let that happen? And who are you to say relationships between men and men or woman and woman are wrong? And you use the word 'Agenda" as if gay activist are the only one with an "Agenda". Don't so called Chistians have an agenda? Don't political parites have an agenda.? Whats up with that dumb statement! And if God is such a caring and loving God why does he let war happen? Why does he let children in Darfur and other places be gang raped by soldiers and let others starve to death? Why did the Holocaust happen? Why does this God let tornados rip peoples homes and families apart? The excuse I hear that makes me SICK is always "It's part of God's plan" (you must use a southern accent when you say this). Thats the cowards excuse. A plan? What plan?
And as for Miss California or whoever the heck she is....WHO CARES? I dont care about her pictures or even her answer about gay marriage. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. In a pagent why dont we focus on the eloquence and the manner in which one answers these stupid questions. Instead they focus on the answer...important maybe..but isn't it more important in that forum to judge on clarity and wisdom of ones answer and its delivery. Those pagents are all so dumb anyhow! And Trump? Pleeezzzeee! He's the biggest weirdo living..I don't care how much money he has. Money does NOT make the man. And Perez who? Where did this loser come from? He is a NOBODY. Like Paris Hilton..another self made celebrity that has DONE NOTHING.
Predictions: Christians will all be turned into salt. Miss California will become a lesbian and the movie she didn't want anyone to see "Hump Trump" will be released in HD. And Perez Hylton will eventually get old and look like a cross between Kristy Alley and Cindi Lauper.

[ladypirate2]

boatdocster: The lawsuit that I was talking about is about the blatant violation of Miss Prejean's freedom of speech rights and the fact that she was penalized and lost the competition because she didn't give the answer that Perez Hilton wanted. He very vindictively voted against her because he is gay and a gay rights activist and has an agenda! He is also a spoiled vindictive brat and throws tantrums like a two year old child whenever he doesn't get his way or when someone disagrees with him or says something that he doesn't agree with.

She had every right to file a civil rights lawsuit against them! The main one, though, that she should sue is Perez Hilton for libel and slander because of the things that he's said about her on his website.

I don't believe Ms Moakler quit entirely because of Miss Prejean's pictures either no matter what she says. She is a gay rights activist too. She didn't like Miss Prejean's answer either and when Donald Trump backed Miss Prejean and didn't go along with Ms Moakler's beliefs and agenda, she decided that she no longer wanted to work for him. I think the pictures had very little to do with it. Moakler is just using them for an excuse to quit.

I know and realize that Miss Prejean should have been honest about the pictures. She should not have lied about them. That was a mistake and not a Christian thing to do. We all make mistakes, though, and sometimes sin, even us Christians. We are human. I also agree that the Miss USA organization could have sued her for breach of contract and maybe still can. I believe it will be moot, though, and of no use because of the suit that she can file against them.

I totally agree with Miss Prejean about the gay marriage thing, though, and I respect her for speaking out for Christian principles even though she did lie about the pictures. She shouldn't have done that but none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. It's time that someone, even someone with flaws like Carrie Prejean, took a stand and spoke out for Christian principles. If we Christians don't start defending ourselves and our rights and principles the liberals and atheists will take over this country and everything that our ancestors fought and died for and the principles that this country was founded on will be gone!

[boatdocster]

"whole Miss USA pageant organization and officials liable for a huge civil rights lawsuit that Miss Prejean would have probably filed"
"and this Moakler woman who want to push their own agenda"

Posted by ladypirate2 at 12:36 AM : May 15, 2009

I'm not sure what planet you are from, but it's generally hard for an individual to file a lawsuit against an organization when you have a signed contract with them and it's the individual that broke the contract, not the organization. Moakler was trying to do her job - evenly enforce the rules for all contestants as Pageant Director... That's what she was hired to do. Trump undercut Moakler by keeping Prejean after she lied about the photos not once, but twice. He's only in it for the free publicity.

How that becomes a personal agenda for Moakler is beyond me. I respect her decision to stand up for principle, something that is obviously beyond Prejean's ability.

[ladypirate2]

I'm going to say it again that I think Donald Trump made the right decision! First of all marriage should be only between a man and a woman and sex, too, for that matter! However, that said, if Donald Trump hadn't made the decision that he did he would have made himself and the whole Miss USA pageant organization and officials liable for a huge civil rights lawsuit that Miss Prejean would have probably filed and she would have had a right to! In fact she could probably still file one against Perez Hilton! I certainly would!

[ladypirate2]

The whole pageant industry needs to be cleaned up from top to bottom from the top ceos right on down to the judges, everybody! The pageants used to have some class but not anymore! The pageant officials first of all need to have stricter rules about who they allow to be a judge and they need to get rid of people like Perez Hilton and this Moakler woman who want to push their own agenda. There also needs to be strict rules about the kind of questions that judges may ask the contestants. Questions like the one that Carrie Prejean was asked should not be allowed!

[strangeworld]

"You will NEVER find a perfect Christian except Christ Himself. He did for us what we cannot."

...and evermore you are free to be a hypocritical jackass because of it? I'm pretty sure that Jesus wouldn't have been so quick to volunteer for the cross if he knew that his sacrifice would be used as justification for people to defend a boob-job and nude photos as pure and innocent behavior by one of his flock.

[armyoftwelve]

Good riddance Ms Moakler!