A contestant for the 2010 Miss California pageant has given her views on same-sex marriage, saying that the Bible is "pretty black and white" on what should happen to gays.
Miss Beverly Hills 2010 Lauren Ashley, who evidently hopes to follow in the footsteps of last year's Miss California Carrie Prejean, was speaking to Fox News.
Ms Ashley said: "The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, 'If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.' The Bible is pretty black and white.
"I feel like God himself created mankind and he loves everyone, and he has the best for everyone. If he says that having sex with someone of your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that's a pretty stern warning, and he knows more than we do about life."
But the beauty queen was quick to point out she had plenty of gay friends, saying: "There's no hate between me and anyone."
Last year, Miss California Carrie Prejean lost the Miss USA pageant and her crown after announcing she disagreed with gay marriage.
Ms Prejean became a poster girl for the Christian right following her outburst and was revered by some as a martyr for Christian values.
But she was swiftly dropped when it was revealed she had had breast implants and appeared in home-made solo porn videos.
Ms Ashley said she had not yet met Ms Prejean but said: "She is definitely a beautiful person and I love that she stood up for what she believes in. I think that's gorgeous."
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