Washington, May 1 : The debate on gay marriage refuses to die down on Miss USA runner-up Carrie Prejean who has now joined the National Organization for Marriage as part of a national ad campaign that invites people to voice their opinion on the topic without criticism.

Miss California was speculated to have lost the Miss USA crown after she spoke against same sex marriages while responding to a question during the competition.

The 21-year-old, who bagged the first runner-up title on April 19, had evoked a mixed reaction after her anti-gay marriage answer.

And now, Prejean has joined forces with a 1.5 billion dollar national ad campaign to show her support in favour of traditional marriages.

"This is not about me. It''s about the future of marriage. It''s about my children and my children''s children. It''s about me standing up for something I''m extremely passionate about," Fox News quoted her as saying at the National Press Club in Washington.

She continued: "I was ready to be Miss USA that night on that stage, and I was faced with a very controversial question. I had a choice to stand up for what I believe in or to compromise that for the tiara." (ANI)