BEVERLY HILLS—The Office of Communications in Beverly Hills released a statement on Tuesday, February 24, regarding Lauren Ashley, “Miss Beverly Hills,” and contestant for Miss California USA.
Cheryl Burnett from the Office of Communications stated to Canyon News that the beauty contestant was seen on a news report giving comments on the Internet. This is what prompted the statement from the city.
The 23-year-old had been making anti-gay remarks and cited the Bible with scriptural passages that refer to homosexuality as being sinful. So far, she is garnering as much support as she can from her networking Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
The press release from the City of Beverly Hills states that in no form does she represent Beverly Hills, and the city does not have any affiliation to her statements. Lauren Ashley actually lives in Pasadena.
The City of Beverly Hills contacted pageant officials to prevent ways for any beauty contestant from representing Beverly Hills in the future. The city does not sponsor a beauty pageant and does not affiliate with Miss California USA; therefore, no one should be able to claim the title of Miss Beverly Hills. The city has had no involvement with beauty pageants in the past, Burnett added.
“The City Council was shocked to see statements made by a beauty pageant contestant under the name of Beverly Hills who does not live in nor represent our city. We are dismayed by any potential association with the City of Beverly Hills, which has a long history of tolerance and respect,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne.
Burnett said that the city appreciates the right to opinion but it is offensive in the use of the city’s name to deliver an opinion, especially without a relationship with the city of Beverly Hills.
K2 productions, the pageant company name, could not comment.
