Carrie Prejean

Carrie Prejean is a beauty queen and model from Vista, California, who has competed in the Miss USA series of pageants. She is currently Miss California USA 2009, and placed first runner up in the Miss USA 2009 pageant.

Prejean has appeared as a model for Target, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and Nordstrom. She has also appeared in Bliss Magazine and PJ Salvage Fall Catalog 2008, and as a model for E! Entertainment in the Academy Awards and as first runner-up on the Deal or No Deal Season 3 Model Search.

Personal life

Born May 13, 1987, Caroline Michelle Prejean grew up in an evangelical Christian home in Vista, California and graduated in 2005 from Vista High School. She is currently a senior at San Diego Christian College, a small, evangelical liberal arts college in El Cajon, California. Prejean is studying to become a special education teacher and spends her spare time volunteering for the Best Buddies non-profit organization, a program that helps people with disabilities. She is also a volunteer for the Special Olympics.

Prejean will be featured in an ad for the National Organization for Marriage, a non-profit organization opposed to the legalization of gay marriage.

Pageants

Prejean competed in the Miss California Teen USA 2005 pageant and placed first runner-up to Stephanie Brink. In 2007 she competed in the Miss California USA 2008 pageant and initially placed third runner-up; later it a judging error was discovered and she was promoted to first runner-up. The winner of that pageant was Raquel Beezley, who was also in the top three at Miss California USA 2005.

Prejean returned the following year and won the Miss California USA 2009 title, succeeding Beezley as California's representative to the Miss USA pageant. Prejean competed at the nationally televised Miss USA 2009 pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 19, 2009 and placed first runner-up. This was California's third first runner-up placement in five years: Brittany Hogan was first runner-up in 2005 and Tamiko Nash was first runner-up in 2006. Prejean's answer to her final question during the pageant became the subject of controversy. A few weeks prior to the Miss USA pageant, Prejean received free breast implants paid for by the Miss California pageant committee. The co-director of the Miss California pageant said "We assisted when Carrie came to us and voiced the interest in having the procedure done, we want to put her in the best possible confidence in order to present herself in the best possible light on a national stage."

Gay Marriage Issue

Main article: Miss USA 2009 Controversy

Prejean was asked by openly gay contest judge Perez Hilton whether she believed every state should legalize same-sex marriage. In her response, she stated, "I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be between a man and a woman." The following day, Hilton disparaged Prejean on his website as a "dumb bitch," posted an edited vulgar image of Prejean, and later stated, "The way Miss California answered her question lost her the crown, without a doubt!"

The incident sparked considerable controversy on both sides of the gay marriage issue. Hilton claimed that the co-directors of the Miss California USA organization expressed sadness and regret regarding her answer. This was denied by co-executive director Keith Lewis, who denied releasing a statement to the celebrity blogger and then stated, "I support Carrie's right to express her personal beliefs even if they do not coincide with my own. I believe the subject of gay marriage deserves a great deal more conversation in order to heal the divide it has created."

Others, however, have supported Prejean for answering according to her beliefs, and pointed out it was certainly not the most rambling or incoherent response in recent memory. Many people criticized Hilton for only asking Prejean a controversial political question, rather than doing it to all the contestants. Some speculate he knew of her personal views before asking the question and that it was agenda-driven. Several conservative radio talk show hosts defended Prejean, such as Michael Medved, who criticized Hilton for what he viewed as an inappropriate expression of intolerance. Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin also criticized Hilton for using the media to humiliate and attack Prejean.

Following the pagent, Prejean has joined National Organization for Marriage's campaign against gay marriage.

External links

• Miss California USA official website