By N
Dahlings!! I am a little late this month but that is because I was taking part in the fabulousity that was the 10th Annual Miss Lez Pageant run, conceived & conceptualized by NYC Legend Murray Hill. The event described as “A wildly provocative, diverse, jaw-dropping alternative beauty pageant for queer womyn.” was that and so much more & in it’s 10th year, it’s being described as the best one yet! From the time I even came out of the closet, I knew I was destined to take part in it. I love pageantry; it challenges me and I love theatricality in all its forms…give me production value and I will swoon!
I was chosen as Miss Wildcard, which means unlike the other contestants, I represent myself while everyone else represents amazing queer run parties, retail stores & even a lesbian musical. It’s all about showcasing and supporting an amazing community!
Alongside contestants Drae Campbell (Rebel Cupcake & the WINNER), Ariel Speedwagon (Hey Queen! & 1st Runner Up), Afrotitty (Re/Dress & Miss Congeniality), Goldie Peacock (Choice Cunts), & Vicky Sin (Lesbian Love Octagon), we sashayed the stage during the Platform, Swimsuit, Interview, Talent and Evening Wear segments of the event. I wouldn’t have wanted to be a judge because every single contestant was super talented & brought it!!!!
For me, the PLATFORM part of the pageant was the hardest because I have an intense fear of public speaking, my fear is one of the main therapeutic reasons that I began hosting my shows. My Platform was called “V-Power”, a theme I’m sure will be used from now on in my shows, because it is simple, concise and straight to the point. I opened with “My Platform is V-Power, because in the end, no matter where you come from, no matter who you sleep with, & no matter what your gender representation is, we all come from the same womb.”
The ENTIRE theme was VAGINA, there were vagina wigs, vagina dresses and even vagina hats! It was an outcry to all the LGTBQ lives lost through suicide but most importantly it was a look at universal acceptance and self-love realizing we all come from the same place & therefore we should treat each other with respect. The recent LGTBQ suicides really hit home for me because I was one of those teenagers bullied at school like many people I know. I had even tried to take my life on several occasions and was admitted to a mental facility at one point. My entire childhood can be pinpointed to Tuesday evenings at solo or group therapy and the entire time I never realized WHY I was different. Growing up in the 90’s, there were no Lesbian/Gay alliances at my school and there were certainly no talking about it. It was a different time & through the years of performing I realized that for me, getting on stage and being loved by an audience of my peers, that it really DOES get better. I wake up every day glad to be alive & celebrate it through performance!
Now I didn’t win the pageant nor did I place, but I am a winner regardless. I stood up there and delivered a performance of a lifetime! My talent was culminated by dressing as a giant vagina singing “I Will Always Love You” while being fanned by white feather fans and looking at myself in a mirror. That moment cemented that I was here, I was queer and you will get used to it!