Carrie Prejean keeps Miss California title – Trump makes decision

I changed the title from Carrie Prejean loses Miss California title to Miss California keeps title. 
Donald Trump who heads the Miss USA/Miss Universe corporation made his decision Tuesday.

Monday

Miss California officials say Carrie Prejean, Miss USA runner up has not been available to fulfill her responsibilities as state beauty queen.

The pageant officials claim that Carri is no longer doing events with the Miss California officials or has even made herself available to the to them. So in response, the heads have chosen Tami Farrell, the 2009 Miss California First Runner Up, to be the new Miss California Ambassador.

Ms. Prejean has asked for security and says she isn’t going into politics. She became controversial the night of the Miss USA Pageant when she was answered this question by a gossip columnist:

“Q: Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?

A: “I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage.”

“And you know what? I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised. Thank you very much.”

She signed with Larry Ross Communications who also handle Rick Warren and James Dobson, appeared in an anti-gay ad, at unsanctioned pageant speaking events, received breast implants from the pagaent and semi-nude underage photos of her surfaced online.

Focus on the Family is airing a two part interview with her today and tomorrow, it was taped before the breach of contract allegations and the pictures were made public.

Tuesday

Trump said Prejean gave a “very, very honest answer when given a very tough question… It’s the same answer that the president of the United States gave. It’s the same answer that many people gave.”

Trump said he reviewed the semi-topless photos that Prejean said she submitted to modeling agencies. “We’ve made a determination that the pictures taken were acceptable, they were fine, in many cases they were actually lovely pictures, and in some cases they were modeling pictures.”

…Trump also said Prejean had worked out “miscommunications” with Shanna Moakler and Keith Lewis, co-directors of Miss California USA. Lewis and Moakler had appointed the state pageant’s first runner-up, Tami Farrell, as the organization’s ambassador. They noted that Prejean has missed some Miss California USA appearances, despite finding time to travel the country talking about marriage.

Will this take some of the bluster out of NOM, Focus on the Family and other groups who defended her semi-nude photos,bikini presentation, implants?  She had the implants, did the bikini walk and breached her contract as an adult, not as an underage model.  

As one commenter here at BDBO put it,  he believed her ‘sin’ was answering honestly. Now that Trump has made it clear the corporation he heads affirms she has a right to her opinion and  failure to fulfil her state obligations, or failure to disclose have been forgiven,  religious right groups who have made their new poster child and her Christian PR firm can’t claim she is persecuted or a martyr for her beliefs or behavior.  Ms. Prejean not only parlayed a career/cause as an anti-gay spokesperson out of the pageant event, she maintains her state pagaent title, runner up national pageant status and her modelling career.

Update: Ms. Prejean has filed a discrimination suit against pageant officials.