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Miss California USA to appear in conservative TV ad

  • Story Highlights
  • Pageant contestant to appear in ad for National Organization for Marriage
  • Carrie Prejean publicly opposed same-sex marriage during Miss USA pageant
  • National Organization for Marriage: Prejean "attacked viciously" for speaking out
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Carrie Prejean, the Miss USA contestant from California who declared her opposition to same-sex marriage on the pageant stage, will star in a new $1.5 million ad campaign funded by the National Organization for Marriage.

Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has gotten support from many same-sex marriage opponents.

Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has gotten support from many same-sex marriage opponents.

Prejean appeared Thursday at a news conference in Washington to unveil the ad, called "No Offense."

Prejean was roasted by same-sex marriage advocates after she stood up for what she called "opposite marriage" (marriage between a man and a woman) when responding to a question from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton during the pageant. But she's also become a fresh-faced standard-bearer for same-sex marriage opponents, who have rallied to her defense.

"Marriage is good," Prejean said at the news conference. "There is something special about unions of husband and wife. Unless we bring men and women together, children will not have mothers and fathers."

"She is attacked viciously for having the courage to speak up for her truth and her values," the National Organization for Marriage said in a press release. "But Carrie's courage inspired a whole nation and a whole generation of young people because she chose to risk the Miss USA crown rather than be silent about her deepest moral values."

"This vision of marriage is not hateful," Prejean said. "It's not discriminatory. It's good."

Although she claimed that her view represents that of the majority of Americans, Prejean said she has no plan "on getting into politics anytime soon, that's for sure."

According to the group, the ad will call "gay marriage advocates to account for their unwillingness to debate the real issue: gay marriage has consequences."

The Miss California USA TV ad is the group's second. Its first, called "A Gathering Storm," ran in several states and featured actors issuing ominous warnings about the threats posed by same-sex marriage.

Executive directors and producers of the Miss California USA pageant released a statement Wednesday lamenting that Prejean had taken on such a "polarizing" issue.

"We are deeply saddened Carrie Prejean has forgotten her platform of the Special Olympics, her commitment to all Californians and solidified her legacy as one that goes beyond the rights to voice her beliefs and instead reveals her opportunistic agenda," the group said.

CNN's Peter Hamby and Alan Duke contributed to this report.

All About Same-Sex Marriage

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