standing up for what you believe in

I am so proud of Miss California. Now generally I do not watch pageants, or haven't in a lot of years, and I did not watch the Miss USA pageant this weekend, but I sure have given it much thought since I saw highlights on the news. Here's what happened...
Miss California was asked in the interview portion of the program whether or not she believed that gay marriage should be legal in all 50 states. Her response was no she believed that marriage was meant to be between a man and a woman. Was this a popular answer? No, although she was met with applause as well as the boos, but she said what she believed. In the days that have followed, she has been berated by the judge/blogger, she has been judged in the media and talked about A LOT, yet this afternoon she was on TV again stating that she stood by her answer and even if it cost her winning the Miss USA crown, she wasn't about to change her beliefs.
It is not always easy to stand up for what we believe. As Christians we are often persecuted for our beliefs, yet this young woman has the courage to stand up for what she believes. I just can't help but admire her courage, and think about her mom, she must be really proud.