Miss Gay America Lookin' Good in the Media! Some Recent Press Clippings

Miss Gay America has been in the press lately due to a combination of publicity efforts and smart editors, proud and pushy MGA owners (Hello, Gaga!), and MGA-loving editors like Echo Magazine's KJ Philp and writer Buddy Early. Click on the links below to read the stories (listed in no particular order, but in the order of the images above):

Vice.com
Logo TV's blog, NewNowNext
The WOW Report, blog for World of Wonder, producers of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Hornet dating app blog, Stories
Nola.com (website for the Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans)
BOOM
Nola.com again!
Gay Times, the UK’s #1 gay magazine
OutSmart Magazine, Houston’s great gay magazine
Out & About Nashville
Columbus Alive, the alternative weekly in Columbus, OH
Echo Magazine, Phoenix’s gay mag, did a huge feature

For the latest, please follow Miss Gay America on Facebook.

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THE MGAZINE INTERVIEW: Meet Your Newly Crowned Miss Gay America 2018, Deva Station!

Miss Gay America 2018 Deva Station. MGAZINE cover photo by Andrew Blackwell.

Though cut short by a day due to the rapidly approaching Hurricane Nate, the 45th annual Miss Gay America pageant held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans from October 4 – 6 was, by all accounts, was a screaming success.

Forty-one contestants from across the U.S. traveled to the Big Easy to compete, many with dressers, make-up artists, back-up dancers, and trailers full of sets and props in tow.   For three days a panel of five judges in four categories judged the contestants: Male Interview, Presentation (in outfits to reflect this year’s “Le Cirque MGA” theme), Evening Gown and Talent (big production number).

By the final night, the competition was down to the top ten, out of which an elite group of five titleholders were chosen.  The top then each put on dynamite Las Vega’s style floorshow numbers–all to a thunderous, standing ovations from the audience–followed by the Evening Gown completion, after which the top five were announced. Following  On-Stage Interview and a final performance by Miss Gay America 2017 Suzy Wong, the winners were announced.

Herewith the Miss Gay America 2018 titleholders:
Miss Gay America 2018 Deva Station (Columbus, OH)
Miss Gay America 2018 First Alternate Brooke Lynn Hytes (Nashville, TN)
Miss Gay America 2018 Second Alternate Kelly Ray (Durham, NC)
Miss Gay America 2018 Third Alternate Dessie Love Blake (Houston, TX)
Miss Gay America 2018 Fourth Alternate Mary Nolan (Columbus, OH)

Now, meet your newly crowned Miss Gay America 2018 Deva Station, as she answer 7 quick questions:

Miss Gay America 2018 Deva Station. Photo by BjKj Illusions

1 How did you get started, when did you first do in female impersonation?  

I actually started female impersonation much later in life than most. I had always enjoyed watching, and had danced in pageants for many queens, but my work schedule was evenings and weekends with a lot of travel, so I didn’t have the proper time to commit to performing.

Miss Gay America 2018 Deva Station "Talent" category competition performance. 

Photo by Deejers Designs

MISS GAY AMERICA Photographer Scotty Kirby Picks His Top 10 Drag Photos, Chats with MGAZINE

Scotty Kirby & The Kirbygirls

In anticipation of Miss Gay America 2018, we wanted to feature two of the Miss Gay America pageant's favorite photographers. Here you'll meet Scotty Kirby. Click here to meet equally beloved, Kristofer Reynolds.

Miss Gay America 2018 happens this week (!) and with comes the return of a new Miss Gay America tradition, the Miss Photogenic competition. For it, contestants who wish to participate submit their best publicity photo to be judged by a panel of former Miss Gay America titleholders on beauty, creativity and expression. The winner will be announced during the pageant.

One man working overtime to make the deadline, is Phoenix based drag photographer, Scotty Kirby. Though he's tried the rest--weddings, men, women, editorial--for Kirby, drag's the best, and it shows in his superglam gagalicious drag queen photography.

Scotty Kirby

For MGAZINE, Scotty Kirby plucked 10 of his favorite drag queen photos and answered 5 quick questions. Herewith, the photos, in no particularly order (who can pick favorite?!), and a chat with Scotty.

Lady Gaga Crowned Honorary MISS GAY AMERICA

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Miss Gay America pageant.

Backstage before her recent September 10 concert in Philadelphia, married Miss Gay America pageant owners Michael Dutzer and Rob Mansman presented Lady Gaga with a Miss Gay America crown, making her the first ever honorary Miss Gay America in the pageant’s 45 year history.

“We love Gaga for all she’s done for the LGBTQ community,” they said, “Especially our youth, so we thought this would be a great way to honor her for championing self-acceptance, diversity and the beauty in everyone’s mirror."

When told that she was not only the first honorary Miss Gay America, but also the first without a penis, Gaga saucily quipped, “How do you know I don’t have a penis?”

Along with the crown, the Miss Gay America owners also presented Gaga with a $5000.00 donation to her Born This Way Foundation.

Established in Nashville in 1972–37 years before “RuPaul’s Drag Race”–The Miss Gay America Pageant is the world’s first, longest running and most prestigious female impersonator competition.

Miss Gay America 2018 happens this week, October 4 – 7, 2017 at the New Orleans Hyatt, where forty contestants from across the U.S. will compete for the Miss Gay America crown. www.missgayamerica.com •

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