Miss California And "Hate Groups"

After Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump announced earlier this week that Miss California, Carrie Prejean, could keep her state crown, Shanna Moakler, herself a former Miss USA, resigned as co-executive director of the Miss California pageant.

On The Early Show Friday, Moakler said she quit because Prejean simply won't take responsibility for any of the things Prejean has said and done that have put her in the center of a storm since the Miss USA pageant last month -- including aligning herself with what Moakler says she considers "hate groups."

Prejean's anti-same-sex marriage comments during the Miss USA competition caused a stir and, along with semi-nude photos of her that surfaced since, put her title in jeopardy. But Trump is letting her hold onto her crown.

"It was a very, very difficult decision for me" to step down, Moakler told Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen. "But at the end of the day, I really -- I had to follow my heart. I didn't feel, you know, that at the press conference (with Trump), that Carrie at that time was really taking any responsibility. And for me, it was just very difficult to stand behind.

" ... There's so many different factors that weigh into this story and that have kind of made it so sensational, from gay rights, to the First Amendment (Prejean has cited her right to free speech in defending the anti-same-sex marriage comments), to the pictures, to big business, and I, you know -- one of the biggest factors was actually the next day ... when she was talking (during a broadcast interview) about the photographs, and she was blaming this photographer, and blaming the wind, and you know , is constantly being a victim and pointing fingers at everybody else and I just couldn't stand behind that...





"I just wanted her to be honest, and just say -- I didn't want her to lose her crown. But I would have loved to have heard her say 'You know what? I was a young kid, and I made a mistake,' and, 'Yes, I should have told the pageant officials about (the photos). I never thought I would, you know, be in this position and I made a mistake. Sorry.' That would have been fine."

Moakler added, "I think she's a young girl, and I think she was thrown into the spotlight (after the Miss USA pageant). I think she was not prepared. I think a lot of organizations latched onto her. They exploited her. They didn't prepare her. I think, you know, she's very honest when she says she never expected this.

"But at the same time, I think it's wrong to start screaming that you're being persecuted and then you go and align yourself with organizations like NOM that are particularly -- I consider them hate groups. (NOM is) the National Organization for Marriage," which opposes same-sex marriage.

Moakler, Miss USA in 1995, is an actress and model, and 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."