The new Carrie Prejean

There’s a new controversially conservative beauty queen in town, and her name is Lauren Ashley:

Less than a year after dethroned Miss California USA Carrie Prejean stirred up controversy with her remarks against gay marriage, a similar war of words is brewing in Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne said Wednesday she is outraged over a Miss California USA contestant who is claiming to represent the city in the upcoming pageant and who spoke out against same-sex marriage in recent media interviews.

Krasne said in a statement that 23-year-old Lauren Ashley does not live in Beverly Hills or represent the city in any capacity. Krasne said she was shocked to see statements made by a beauty pageant contestant under the name of Beverly Hills, “which has a long history of tolerance and respect.”

Ashley recently told Fox News and other media outlets that same-sex marriage goes against God and the Bible.

Keith Lewis, a K2 Productions stage director for the Miss California USA pageant, told the Los Angeles Times that contestants choose the area they represent and Ashley chose to compete as Miss Beverly Hills in November 2010.

There is some controversy, I take it, as to whether Lauren lives in Beverly Hills – she says yes, the mayor says no. There is also the question of whether she can represent Beverly Hills, when Beverly Hills doesn’t have its own pageant to choose a representative.

The Miss California USA pageant says: well, yes.

At this point, there is an unfortunate dearth of Lauren Ashley pictures on the internet. Assuming that her bid for a pageant berth is successful, that should change for the better.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that she’s purposely stoking controversy for the sole purpose of earning her 15 minutes. If so, we wish her well, and we breathlessly await comment from Carrie Prejean.