Drag pageantry is a highly developed form of pageantry for female impersonators and trans women, styled after traditional beauty pageants or beauty contests for cisgender women.
Contents
- National pageants in the United States
- Miss Gay America
- Former titleholders
- Miss Continental USA
- Miss Continental Plus Winners
- Miss Continental Elite Winners
- Mr Continental Winners
- National Entertainer of the Year
- Mr Entertainer of the Year
- King Entertainer of the Year
- Miss Gay USofA
- Miss Gay USofA At Large
- Miss Gay USofA Classic
- Miss Gay USofA Newcomer
- Mr Gay USofA
- Mr Gay USofA At Large
- Mister USofA MI
- Mister USofA MI Classic
- Miss USofA DIVA femme
- All American Goddess
- All American Goddess at Large
- All American Gent
- The Female Impersonators Miss Florida Pageant Miss Florida FI
- Miss Florida FI at Large
- Miss National
- Miss National at Large
- Mr National
- Universal ShowQueen
- Miss Gay International
- Miss Gay International Plus
- Dont H8 Inc
- References
In more recent years, it has also evolved into a highly developed form of pageantry for male impersonators and transmen, modeled in the same style and spirit as female-centered pageantry (see above).
National pageants in the United States
National drag pageants became enmeshed within the gay community during the 1970s, and have become increasingly prevalent since. The first drag pageants were held in individual gay bars, and discothèques during the post Stonewall era. Drag pageants evolved independently, in the decade subsequent to the first gay Mardi Gras coronations.
Miss Gay America
Mirroring the format of the Miss America contest, the first national gay pageant Miss Gay America (MGA) was held in 1972 at the Watch Your Hat & Coat Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville's first gay dance and show bar. Jerry Peek opened this bar in 1971, and it was an instant sensation, not only with gay patrons, but also with the straight crowd. Norma Kristie, state representative of Arkansas, was crowned as the winner of the 1973 Miss Gay America Pageant, and in 1975 Norman "Norma Kristie" Jones took ownership of the pageant from Jerry Peek, who founded the Miss Gay America Pageant. Norman Jones would form Norma Kristie, Inc. and operate the pageant and its network of preliminaries for the next 30 years.
Since its inception, MGA has prided itself as a showcase for pure female impersonation: Contestants must be men who live as men, achieving a convincing feminine illusion solely through their own ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness. Bodily feminization via female hormones, breast implants, and/or injectable fillers such as liquid silicone is strictly forbidden (plastic surgery and fillers above the neck are permitted, however). An interview in male attire is a key component of the pageant; contestants are judged not only for their poise and articulateness but for their overall masculine presentation—points may be deducted for feminine aspects such as overly plucked eyebrows or long fingernails.
In February 2005, the Miss Gay America pageantry system was purchased by Larry Tyger and Terry Eason of L & T Entertainment. Currently, contestants are judged in 5 categories: Male Interview, Solo Talent, Evening Gown, Stage Question & Answer, and Production Talent.
On February 4, 2016, Michael Dutzer and Rob Mansman of Mad Angel Entertainment purchased the Miss Gay America pageant From L & T Entertainment.
Former titleholders
Miss Continental U.S.A.
As Miss Gay America grew in popularity and prestige, many professional female impersonators who lived full-time as women found they were unable to compete in the pageant due to its longstanding rule barring transgender contestants. Aside from the prestige of holding a national title, MGA afforded its winner guaranteed show bookings at every state preliminary held during the title year; thus, the MGA crown turned what was often local, part-time work into a full-time job. Because many trans women also use drag shows as a source of income, it was only natural that a pageantry system would evolve to meet their needs.
In 1980, Chicago nightclub promoter Jim Flint, owner of the Baton Show Lounge, filled this void with the creation of the Miss Continental U.S.A. Pageant. Contestants were scored in interview, swim wear, talent, and evening gown; for the finalists, an on stage question. A number of notable winners either were "boy queens" at the time that they won or have never pursued gender transition—including Chilli Pepper, the first Miss Continental, Michelle Dupree, Miss Continental 1998, Naysha Lopez, Miss Continental, 2013 and Brooke Lynn Hytes, Miss Continental 2014–15—but over time the Continental Pageantry System became renowned for its "titty girls," or pre-/non-operative transsexual contestants. Today, Miss Continental has preliminaries representing various U.S. states as well as Canada and Europe.
(All winners were crowned in Chicago, Illinois)
Miss Continental Plus Winners
Miss Continental Elite Winners
Mr. Continental Winners
National Entertainer of the Year
This contest was created by George Stinson and Ed Lewis, owners of the successful Connection Complex in Louisville, Kentucky. They drew their inspiration from Female Impersonator of the Year, a one-time pageant event held in Houston in 1985, hosted by Ruth Buzzi and Lyle Waggoner, and released as a cable-TV special and home video. The winner of that contest, the late Naomi Sims (Newman Braud), is honored as EOY Emeritus.
Mr. Entertainer of the Year
King Entertainer of the Year
In 2011, after years of pushing from EOY promoters and a final agreement from major sponsor Anheuser Busch, National EOY introduced an MI division. On a preliminary level, the first MI crowned into the EOY system was Joey Paige, who captured the title of Kentucky EOY King at the preliminary pageant in Louisville on July 3, 2011. This was the only EOY MI prelim contest held that year. Michigan EOY also sent a representative to Nationals that year, Spacee Kadett, though Spacee was appointed the title in the state. The remaining contestants for the first EOY King contest entered as open competitors, and such open entry into EOY King competition continues to this day.
In July 2011, after national competition, EOY crowned Spacee Kadett as the first national king in its system. Spacee's victory and reign of outrageous drag helped push drag kinging to a more daring and theatrical level across the US, and set a standard for kings in the EOY system.
Femme Entertainer of the Year
In 2015, EOY promoters and owners expanded the contest to include the Femme counterparts with the first National Pageant held at the Connection Complex theatre. |-
Miss Gay USofA
Houston, Texas based MGA promoter Jerry Bird purchased the bankrupt Miss Gay USA pageant from former MGA Jimi Dee in 1985. Within a few years he took the pageant from a small twelve contestant affair to a national showcase with over eighty participants. In 1986, the first Miss Gay USA Naomi Sims crowned Michael Andrews. In the mid-1990s the pageant was renamed Miss Gay USofA after complaints and legal threats from the owner of Miss USA, Donald Trump, who placed a cease and desist order until verbiage could be agreed upon that allowed for both competitions to continue without confusion or discrimination.
There have been a wide range of contestants in the Miss USofA System, and it is interesting to note that many USofA titleholders also count the Miss Gay America crown as accomplishments in female impersonation. These include:
Naomi Sims, Miss Gay USA 1979 (Miss Gay America 1985); Michael Andrews, Miss Gay USA 1986 (Miss Gay America 1977); Jacquelyn DeVaroe, Miss Gay USofA 1997 (Miss Gay America 1994); Lauren Taylor, Miss Gay USofA 1998 (Miss Gay America 1997); Alyssa Edwards, Miss Gay USofA 2006 (Miss Gay America 2010, though Edwards was stripped of the title a few short months after winning the crown); Dominique Sanchez, Miss Gay USofA 2010 (Miss Gay America 2003); Luscious, Miss Gay USofA 2011 (Miss Gay America 2007), and, Asia O'Hara, Miss Gay USofA 2007 (Miss Gay America 2016).
The following is the list of the winners of the Miss Gay U.S.A. Pageant — then a complete change of ownership — Miss Gay USA winners 1986 through 1994 and Miss Gay USofA winners from 1995 through present:
Miss Gay USofA At Large
Miss Gay USofA Classic
Miss Gay USofA Newcomer
Mr. Gay USofA
Mr. Gay USofA At-Large
Mister USofA MI
Mister USofA MI Classic
Miss USofA DIVA (femme)
During the 1990s, the range and variety of drag pageantry continued to expand; however the "big four" pageant systems of MGA, Continental, USofA and EOY still dominated the market. New competitions with new requirements brought a wider variety of performers to drag pageantry. Contests for plus-sized, mature and African American female impersonators became popular.
All American Goddess
This pageant system was created by Scott Gonyaw. Unlike the "Big Four" of drag pageantry, AAG welcomes postoperative trans women as contestants.
All American Goddess at Large
All American Gent
The Female Impersonators’ Miss Florida Pageant (Miss Florida FI)
First held in 1972, a few months after the first Miss Gay America contest, this pageant was revived in 2014 after seven years of inactivity. Though technically a state pageant, Miss Florida FI held prestige comparable to that of a national pageant for many years, with entertainers from around the U.S. vying for the crown, and guests and judges who included international celebrities. Before Miss Continental and Miss Gay USA (now Miss Gay USofA) were created, Miss Florida was the only major female-impersonation pageant that permitted trans women to compete. (Jim Flint, owner and founder of the Continental Pageantry System, has acknowledged Miss Florida as his inspiration for creating Miss Continental.)
Miss Florida FI at Large
Note: In 1989, ownership of the pageant fell into dispute after its creator-owner, Keith Landon, died. An alternative pageant called Miss Florida State was held that year; Shanté (Alexandra Billings) was crowned the winner but is not officially recognized as a former Miss Florida FI. In 1992, ownership of the pageant again fell into dispute after the death of its second owner, René Rodriguez. This time, two competing pageants were held: Miss Florida FI, won by Stephanie Shippae ́, and National Miss Florida, won by Monica Munro. Monica is also unrecognized as an official former, but she walked in the Parade of Miss Floridas that opened the 2001 pageant at the invitation of the owners.
Miss National
This pageant was a huge part of the "Big 5" National pageant systems in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was first created by Kevin Scott in 1994 and is no longer in business. The first "winner" was Tandi Andrews, but she was later dethroned due to scheduling conflicts. Tommie Ross assumed the crown. Tandi will always be a Miss National. The last people to win the contest were Natasha Richards in 2003 and Chelsea Pearl in 2002. In 2009 2 people from Alabama tried to purchase the contest and appointed Mokha Montrese as Miss National 2009. That sale fell through and was never completed. The system is still defunct as of 2017.
Miss National at Large
Mr. National
Universal ShowQueen
Since 1984, Universal ShowQueen has been held annually in Honolulu, Hawaii. Similar to Miss Florida FI, USQ is a "local national" pageant that attracts contestants from not only Hawaii but also the mainland U.S. It is renowned for its signature category—Showgirl Costume—a showcase for lavish and elaborate Las Vegas–style costumes and headdresses.
Miss Gay International
(Formerly Miss Amateur National) This pageant founded for newer queens transformed into what is now Miss International Inc. -This system is not to be confused with the hostile split with former's (Vicki Valentino & Marlowe Septimius) with the now defunct Miss Gay International Inc.
Miss Gay International Plus
Don't H8, Inc.
The National Don't H8 organization was founded in 2010 by Chip Matthews and turned National when the system developed into a National/International success. The System developed 5 major divisions; Mr, Miss, DIVA, Newcomer (Male/Female) and has success with contestants from all over the United States with 10 preliminaries and now the divisions have all gone International in both Canada and United Kingdom. The system is for males, female, transgender, female illusionist, male illusionist, wrestlers, children, and teenagers. Visit www.donth8official.org
Don't H8 ICON
Mr. Don't H8
Miss Don't H8
Miss Don't H8 DIVA
Mr. Don't H8 STUD
Mr. Don't H8 Newcomer
Miss Don't H8 Newcomer
Ultimate Teen of Don't H8
Prince of Don't H8
Princess of Don't H8
Don't H8 Ringmaster
King & Queen of Don't H8