Equality in the USA...

Miley Cyrus has always been (at least for me) fairly easy to view as a lightweight. From her meteoric popularity on Hannah Montana to her dubious (yet surprisingly catchy) hit songs and her zeal to be taken seriously as an actress (in a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, no less), I never had really expected her to be much more than a flash in the pan teen idol.

But Cyrus' recent behavior has impressed me, as she has demonstrated she not only seriously cares about the world around her, but is willing to take on those who disagree.

Late last week, Cyrus demonstrated her support for same-sex marriage by inking an equal sign onto her finger.

"ALL LOVE is equal," she Tweeted on Friday, along with a picture of her new tattoo. And when that Tweet caused a bit of a flurry among a number of her more conservative fans, she retorted with, "Where does it say in the bible to judge others? Oh right. It doesn't. GOD is the only judge honey. GOD is love."

What I didn't realize is that this wasn't the first time Cyrus has publicly taken a stand for equality. Following the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial, she Tweeted, "You know the world is skewed when people get away with murdering children but we cant get gay marriage legalized in the state of California."

Cyrus is a role model to millions of teenagers and preteens, so to have someone at that level of recognition taking a stand like this has tremendously positive ramifications.

I don't like to admit I'm wrong (heck, I don't like to admit that I don't like admitting I'm wrong), but I'm happy to say that I'm wrong about Miley Cyrus, and salute her for publicly supporting equality. Sadly, not every celebrity—especially those whose fans tend to be more conservative—shares the same views, or at least they aren't always willing to state their opinions publicly.

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but this dog has learned (again) you can't judge a book by its cover. And you can't judge a celebrity's depth by the way they became famous or the audience to whom they appeal.

Thanks, Miley!