Miss Gay New York America 2019 Truly Fabu. Photo by Jeff Weller.
The Miss Gay America preliminary season officially kicked off on March 19 at The Copacabana in New York City's Times Square. The night was hosted by Catia Lee Love and Personna Shoulders. Andora Tetee our reigning Miss Gay America–who won the Miss Gay New York America crown last March)–presided over the pageant.
It was a night of high flying, high kicking drama as contestants Aria B. Cassadine, Dextaci, Dominique St. James, Fifi DuBois, and Pattaya Hart competed for the Miss Gay New York America 2019 title. All gave stellar, eye–and potentially joint-popping–performances to a packed and appreciatively screaming house. One felt sorry for the judges.
Celebrities in the audience included Miss Continental 2018 Stasha Sanchez of Atlanta, Miss USofA 2018 Janet-Fierce Andrews of Texas, Entertainer of the Year 2018 Danielle Hunter of St. Louis and Miss Gay America 1990 Brandy Alexander aka Randy Fenoli of "Say Yes to the Dress" TV (TLC) fame, of New York City.
In the end, it was Truly Fabu, a born and raised New Yorker now living in Baltimore who earned the crown and opportunity to compete in the Miss Gay America nationals this October in St. Louis. Pattaya Hart won First Alternate to Miss Gay New York America 2019 and will also compete at Miss Gay America. FYI, though now a New Yorker, Andora is a former Miss Gay Maryland America (2006) who moved to New York from Baltimore in 2007.
Below, we introduce you to Miss Gay New York America 2019 Truly Fabu, but first, we wanted to know how she chose her drag name.
“'Truly Fabu' came to me in two parts," she says. "'Truly' came from the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." That movie had two things I love: musical numbers and cars. Truly Scrumptious is the lead female character, and I always thought it was an interesting and pretty name. “Fabu” is a word my friend and I used back in the day. It’s just short for fabulous. I thought "Truly Fabu" had a fun and whimsical quality to it, and that was it."
Now, meet Miss Gay New York America 2019 Truly Fabu.
The moment Truly Fabu was announced as Miss Gay New York America 2019. Photo by Jeff Weller.
Like a lot of performers, the first time I did drag was on Halloween. I was in college in Tucson Arizona, and went out to a bar called IBT’s where Lucinda Holliday (of Made for a Queen jewelry) was the show director. She asked me if I wanted to do the guest spot in a show, and I accepted. I was so nervous, and practiced a lot. All of my friends came out to support me, and before I was called onto the stage, my knees were shaking. The music started and I came out from behind the curtain to Debbie Gibson’s “Don’t You want Me Now.” As soon as I got on the stage and was hit by the spotlight, all my nerves were gone and a performer was born. To this day I still get nervous before going on stage.
The crowning of Miss Gay New York America 2019 Truly Fabu by Miss Gay America 2019 Andora Te'tee with Mr. Gay America 2018 Judas Eliot. Photo by Jeff Weller.
I have always been a pageant girl. I’m really proud of that. I’m a competitor. I was on sports teams in school and participated in school government. I was class president in junior high school, and a dorm senator in college. I like taking leadership roles. Being in the Miss Gay America system has meant a lot to me over the years. First and foremost because of the enduring relationships I have formed. The relationships you form at pageants are life-long. We learn so much from and about each other. Through the wins and losses, the bonds grow stronger as you laugh and cry with your friends. Because I love competing and performing, the MGA system really satisfies me.
Truly Fabu performing in the Talent category at Miss Gay New York America 2019.
3 How have you benefited from competing in the Miss Gay America system?
I feel like I have benefitted from competing at MGA in so many ways. The first example I can think of are interview skills. Going into a job interview I felt more relaxed and less nervous because I had the experience of doing Male Interview at MGA. Those skills are unique to the MGA system and are a real benefit in the real world. Another example is testing your limits and seeing how far you can go. It’s amazing to push yourself to be better than even you thought you could be. It is a true testament of the power of believing in yourself. Overcoming fears and insecurities are all things I have gained from the Miss Gay America system.
4 Is your family supportive?
My family is supportive. I usually ask my parents not to come to the big competitions because it would make me nervous, but they always want to know how I did. If I don’t email my mom and dad right away after a pageant, I get an early call from them the next day so they can hear all about it. It’s amazing to have that kind of support from family.
5 What is your life out of drag? Anything else you want to add or say?
My life out of drag is very busy which is just the way I like it. I’ve been working as a Southwest Airlines flight attendant for 20 years. It’s a fascinating job that really keeps you on your toes. When I’m not working I go exploring the world. I go to London a lot, because I have a lot of friends there and I’ve started performing there as well. I’ve taken trips to Hong Kong, Beijing, Bali, Melbourne and Sydney recently. They were amazing! There is so much great culture out there. I’m also a car buff. I have a collection of German and Japanese cars from the 80’s. I really enjoy tinkering with them and bringing them to car shows. Because I grew up in New York City, and my family is still there, I go home all the time. I enjoy the culture of NYC and seeing as many musicals as I can. •
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