A beauty queen contestant reportedly lost her chance to be crowned Miss USA because she believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
During the televised show Carrie Prejean, who represented California, was asked by an openly homosexual judge whether US states should allow same sex marriage.
Miss Prejean replied, “I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offence to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”
Her answer was met with applause from members of the audience.
But the judge who asked the question told ABC News: “She lost it because of that question. She was definitely the front-runner before that.”
He also said Miss Prejean has ‘half a brain’ and he would have stormed onto the stage and ripped off her tiara if she had won.
In last year’s US presidential election, millions of voters in the State of California voted in favour of protecting traditional marriage.
They voted to amend the state constitution making it clear that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in California.
The Christian Institute’s Mike Judge said: “I don’t approve of beauty contests but I am saddened that this young woman has been ridiculed for no other reason than expressing her beliefs on marriage.
“She was expressing her view – which is the right view, and also happens to be the majority view of the state she represents.”
In the UK a charity worker has been suspended for discussing his views on same sex relationships with a colleague.
A Christian registrar from London is in the midst of a legal battle with Islington Council because they are threatening to dismiss her unless she performs same sex partnership registrations.
And the Christian owners of a Cornish guesthouse are currently being sued because they won’t provide double rooms to same sex couples.