Beauty Queen Joins Ad Campaign Against Gay Marriage

Miss California is bringing her support for traditional marriage to Washington after sticking to her moral convictions at the Miss USA pageant -- which arguably cost her the title.

Carrie Prejean has joined up with the National Organization for Marriage as part of a $1.5 billion national ad campaign that touts the right of Americans to share their opinion on gay marriage without backlash.

"I encourage people to stand up for what they believe in and not be afraid," Prejean said Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington.

The 21-year-old was named the first runner-up to Miss North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant April 19. Her response to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton's question about legalizing same-sex marriage may have cost her the title.

"I was ready to be Miss USA that night on that stage, and I was faced with a very controversial question," she said Thursday. "I had a choice to stand up for what I believe in or to compromise that for the tiara."

Prejean's answer added fuel to the debate between conservatives and liberals about gay rights. This time, the battle is being fought online, where liberal bloggers have attack Prejean.

"This is not about me. It's about the future of marriage," she said Thursday. "It's about my children and my children's children. It's about me standing up for something I'm extremely passionate about."

The ad centers on the hostile reaction to Prejean's answer, asserting that she was "attacked viciously for having the courage to speak up for her truth and her values" and that her "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."

The ad calls on gay rights advocates to join in a debate on gay marriage.