Miss California officials might strip Carrie Prejean of title

Pageant spokesman Roger Neal said Tuesday it appears Prejean has violated the 12-page contract all prospective contestants were required to sign before competing in the November state contest. The contract prohibits Miss California from making personal appearances, giving interviews or making commercials without permission from pageant officials. In the last 10 days, Prejean has made televised appearances at her San Diego church and on behalf of the National Organization for Marriage, a group opposed to same-sex marriage.

The contact also contains a clause asking participants to say whether they have conducted themselves "in accordance with the highest ethical and moral standards." As an example, it asks if they have ever been photographed nude or partially nude.

A photo of Prejean wearing only pink panties with her back turned to the camera appeared Monday on a gossip blog.

Prejean on Tuesday fired back that she has done nothing wrong and that she suspects she's being hounded for her anti-gay-marriage stance.

"I am a Christian, and I am a model. Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos." She added, "On April 19, I chose to answer a question during the 2009 Miss USA pageant in an honest and personal manner that expressed my views of the long-established definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. Yet my comments defending traditional marriage have led to intimidation tactics that seek to undermine my reputation and somehow silence me and my beliefs, as if opinion is only a one-way street."

Prejean, was first runner-up to Miss North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant April 19. Her response to a question about legalizing same-sex marriage, and subsequent statements that her answer favoring limiting marriage to a man and a woman may have cost her the title, have made her a media sensation.