Glitter was flying Saturday night as the Miss’d America competition took over Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
After a night of competition and camp, Sabel Scities was crowned queen in the drag competition that is meant to parody the mainstream Miss America contest.
Scities, portrayed by Timothy Byars of Sunnyside, N.Y., began her drag career seven years ago and also holds the title of Miss Fire Island 2010.
She beat out 13 other contestants — the largest pool of contenders in the pageant’s history.
About 1,300 supporters turned out for the charity pageant, about 100 more than last year’s show. Fundraising, which will benefit philanthropic efforts of the Greater Atlantic City GLBT Alliance and the Schultz-Hill Scholarship Foundation, had not been tallied by press time.
The evening was emceed by Carson Kressley, who took over from former longtime host Sandy Beach, who was ousted by organizers last year as they pursued national exposure.
Alliance president Larry Sieg said Kressley’s presence, as well as the inclusion of drag performer Martha Wash, “brought the pageant to another level.”
Sieg said it was “one of the most successful pageants we’ve ever had. It was an incredible event, and the change in format by focusing more on the pageantry, while still having a high-quality production, really helped.”
Organizers are already looking ahead to next year’s show, which Sieg said could be held in the fall, to avoid weather complications and allow for outdoor events. At this year’s show, Scities wowed the judges with routines that included a fur-lined swimsuit and a Courtney Love impression, which she said “got the judges’ attention in a unique way that they may not have seen before.”
Scities delivered winning performances despite limited mobility due to a recent injury.
Also in the winner’s circle was Victoria Porkchop Parker, whose Miss Piggy bathing suit was a big hit with the audience and judges, in second place, and Bootsie LeFaris in third.
While the pageant was full of laughs, the Miss’d America title is a distinction Scities said she will use to affect change for younger generations of the LGBT community.
“My main goal is to reach out and strengthen a bond between Miss’d America and the queer youth,” she said. “Title holders and decent people, for that matter, are not just flowers that pop out of the ground; we need guidance and nurturing and positive atmospheres to thrive and grow in. If I had the support at 14 that I had at 17, I probably would have had a lot more confidence and been more comfortable with coming out and into my own personality. I want to contribute to any organization that believes in the same.”