After months of anticipation, the U. S. Mr. Gay Competition is finally here! Not only is this the first time Philadelphia is hosting the nationwide contest, it’s also the first time any East Coast city has done so. To say that I’m excited about it is an understatement.
As the event’s primary organizer, I’d be remiss not to extend a sincere thank-you to all the local businesses and media outlets that are sponsoring U.S. Mr. Gay, including Vitamin Water Zero, Smirnoff Vodka, Philadelphia Gay News, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Nightlifegay.com, Edge Philadelphia, 12th Street Gym, G Philly, the Philadelphia Weekly, the Loews Hotel, the Independent Hotel, Philly-gaycalendar.com, Privileged Communications, Voyeur Nightclub, Q Lounge and Tavern on Camac. I also want to thank all of my friends and volunteers for their support in pulling this weekend together. Here are the highlights, by the numbers:
— 21 hot contestants: With entrants from cities across the country, this year’s competition boasts one of the most diverse fields ever. There are representatives from New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, San Diego, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — in addition to many smaller cities like New Hope, Fire Island, N.Y., Annapolis, Md., Modesto, Calif., and Rehoboth Beach, Del. Check out photos and profiles at www.nightlifegay.com.
— 7 celebrity judges: How’s this for a panel of judges? Village Voice gossip columnist Michael Musto; celebrity stylist and reality-TV star David Evangelista; four-time Emmy-winning TV producer Terence Noonan; Paper magazine editor Mickey Boardman; “The A-List: New York” which stars Ryan Nickalus and TJ Kelly; and openly gay Philadelphia City Council candidate Christopher Hayes. In addition, Sirius OUT Q radio star Frank DeCaro and drag queen Brittany Lynn will co-host. — 5 performances: Between rounds of competition during Saturday night’s contest, several area performers will delight the crowd. Drag diva Navaya Shay will open with the Philadelphia Freedom Band before returning to the stage later with her partner in crime, Cherry Pop. Gayborhood Games’ vocalists Alexandra Rush, Thom Sirkot and Jeff Vitelli will perform as well.
— 3 events: The U.S. Mr. Gay Competition kicks off with the opening party, a Q & A and a contestant meet-and-greet at 8 p.m. Nov. 12 at Q Lounge, 1234 Locust St. The big competition starts at 9 p.m. Nov. 13 at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St.; doors open at 8. After the competition, contestants, hosts and judges will head to Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St., for the after-party. Tickets for Saturday’s contest are available at www.nightlifegay.com, or at the door from 8-9 p.m. The opening party is $10 at the door; the after-party is free for anyone who attended the competition.
Don’t forget the fall Pink Pub Crawl is back for its third installment on Nov. 24. The Crawl starts at 8:45 p.m. at Q Lounge, then moves to Tabu, 200 S. 12th St., at 10:15. From Tabu, revelers will head to Woody’s, 202 S. 13th St., at 11:30, and finally to Voyeur Nightclub at 12:30. For $25 (if you sport pink clothing, $30 if not), you get one free drink at each of the first three bars, and free admission to Woody’s and Voyeur. Check out Nightlifegay.com for more information.
That’s it for this go ’round. Until next time, get offline and see what your community has to offer!