Miss Sobriety, the annual drag show competition run by Philadelphia Freedom Roundup — an LGBTQ+ sobriety resource network, turns 10 years old this year. The event will return June 15 at a new venue, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rittenhouse.
“One of the reasons I moved to Philly was to get sober,” said Todd S., who noted that members of the group use first names and a last initial to preserve anonymity.
Todd, who previously served as Philadelphia Freedom Roundup’s treasurer and helped to bring this year’s production to life, initially got involved in the organization after attending an annual conference — called a roundup — hosted by the group in 2013.
“For the first time, I saw that in recovery life is not over,” he said. “We’re having a ton of fun. These people know how to party. We’re just doing it without alcohol and drugs.”
The next year, the group hosted Miss Sobriety for the first time and has continued the tradition annually (minus two years during the height of the pandemic). Initially, the intention of the competition was to raise enough money to host another roundup event.
“But more importantly, it’s become an event on its own,” said Todd about the pageant. “So many people in the recovery community — not just the LGBTQ+ community but in the recovery community in general — look forward to it every year.”
“There are over 40 volunteers plus all the performers that make this event what it is. Without them, we would not have an event,” he said, noting that many of the contestants over the last decade have been first-time performers.
“There are some people who walk in so fearful of taking the risk and you watch them leave the show with such a sense of accomplishment,” said Matthew C., who choreographs the opening number. He explained that for many, volunteering to help produce or participate in the show can help people develop the skills or confidence to do other challenging things in their lives that they’ve had difficulty confronting.
“When you’re putting [drugs and alcohol] down, you don’t know what’s coming. You’re just scared to death that this thing that you leaned on is gone now,” he noted. “But through these experiences, and obviously through the meetings and everything else, you slowly learn that there’s this beautiful life out there without the drugs and the alcohol.”
Competitors must be at least six months sober to participate. They’re paired with a glam squad — typically a mentor who participates in the local drag community — to help them style their hair and makeup.
Each queen represents a specific Philadelphia neighborhood, mimicking state residencies in the Miss America contest, which the event satires. Judges have differing years of experience in sober living — ranging from newcomers to those with decades of sobriety.
The event also includes live musical acts — including the rock band Kensington Choir and musician Erin Fox. Catering is by Norma’s Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine, Metropolitan Bakery and Antonio’s Deli.
“Even if you don’t love drag, there’s so much more,” said Todd, underlining that camaraderie is one important aspect of the gathering.
“It can feel very, very empty at the beginning,” he said about what it’s like to first start a sobriety journey. People often lose friends, social connections and hobbies, which make the experience especially isolating too. He’s been thanked by guests in the past who have said that the event is sometimes the first night out or first enjoyable experience they’ve had in sobriety.
The group has listened to complaints about temperature control — especially in recent years when June has become a month of intolerable heat — and this year’s venue has air conditioning.
In 2022, the event was sold out at 180 seats because the venue was at-capacity. Last year’s competition was held at the Unitarian Universalist Church on 21st and Chestnut, allowing the group to sell almost 450 tickets and welcome nearly 400 attendees. This year’s new venue, Church of the Holy Trinity in Rittenhouse, will allow the organization to double sales again if needed as it holds 800 seats.
Todd hopes this year’s number of attendees grows to 500 guests or more. Scholarships for approximately 30 attendees who can’t afford tickets but would like to come to the event are available.
For a while, the group had a hard time balancing their bank account — and sometimes, they even lost money producing the show. But Todd hopes that this year, the organization will finally have enough funds saved to host another roundup.
Matthew, who got into recovery in the late ’80s, said the group is still learning about what the community wants following the lockdowns of the pandemic. With new officers rotating in and out of leadership positions every year, more people can bring their own ideas about what would benefit the group.
He got interested in Philadelphia Freedom Roundup because of their Halloween ball and regular coffee house meet-ups — where people were sometimes exploring new talents, such as poetry, or performing music while sober for the first time.
“A lot of recovery people — we go to meetings and then we have fellowship after, and that’s great,” he said. “But I think the Philadelphia Freedom Roundup identified the need for — especially in early recovery, especially if you’re learning how to be yourself again — social experiences to bring all of us together and all of our beautiful individuality.”
Philadelphia Freedom Roundup will host the Miss Sobriety 2024 pageant from 7 to 10 p.m. on June 15 at Church of the Holy Trinity, 1904 Walnut St. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit philadelphiaroundup.com.