Claire Buffie Will Fight for Gay Equality -- at the Miss America Pageant

Miss New York -- aka the 24-year-old Claire Buffie -- is bringing a new cause to the Miss America pageant this year: gay rights.

The Indiana native is promoting a "Straight for Equality: Let's Talk" platform in the upcoming pageant -- and she thinks it's time the other contestants got with the program, too.

"Miss America is looking for a woman who is intelligent, has a vision and is compassionate about making change," Buffie said in a recent interview with the New York Daily News. "The reason I am such a vocal straight ally is because my older sister, Sarah, is gay, and I have a lot of gay friends and a gay roommate." Buffie added that they were "people that I care about so much and that I never want to see treated as second-class citizens."

It's a bold move, even as the fight for gay rights has long since taken a place on the national stage. Congratulations on Miss Buffie for standing up for what she believes in -- and good luck on pageant night!