​"A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being." 

My time as Miss Gay Missouri America has been the best year of my life. I have had so many experiences that I never would have imagined I could be a part of. I have made lifelong friends and I am forever grateful for each and every one! The love and support I received from everyone has done so much for my life that going forward, my life will never be the same. Thank you all for everything!
 
Miss Gay Missouri America is HERE! I looked over the program set up and stopped on the contestant page and at first I thought to myself, where's my photo?! It hasn't hit me yet that it's almost over. It feels like just yesterday I was over seeing my first preliminary....... Where has the time gone!
 
To the 22 contestants, enjoy every moment of Miss Gay Missouri America! You all have earned your place in the class of 2017! You have all put your heart and soul into building a package that best represents you. You know what you are capable of and it’s important to remember that. You are the author of your own story and no one and I mean NO ONE can change that. Don't let other cast doubt in your mind no matter who they are. The only person who can defeat you is you. Every single one of you is worthy of being Miss Gay Missouri America, it's not a matter of if, but more a matter of when!
 
 When I started out on this journey of wanting to be Miss Gay Missouri America, I knew that one day I would achieve that goal. What I didn't know is what being Miss Gay Missouri America would actually be like. You instantly become a strong voice in your community, all eyes are focused on you the moment the crown is placed on your head. What you do that year as Miss Gay Missouri America is so important to the success of keeping the legacy alive.  Live every moment like it's your last and enjoy yourself.
 
There are 22 contestants, only one can walk away with the title. What I have to say to those who aren't not lucky to be crowned this year. It's not over, you all have what it takes to wear the Miss Gay Missouri America crown.
 
 "You cannot know true success without knowing the beauty of failure."
 
I got to spend my last two shows as Miss Gay Missouri America in some of my favorite places.
 
First stop was Yin Yang Nightclub in Columbia. For a cosplay themed show hosted by Amanda Lay and Kaighlynn LaFaye. It was a show filled with all the nerdiness you could handle.
 
I then traveled to St Louis which has become a home away from home to perform and I got to guest star for the first time at Rehab. I would like to thank Akasha Royale for inviting me to perform and for the hospitality she offered to my husband and I.  Rehab has become one of my favorite places in St. Louis.

Sunday is got to spend a relaxing day with Akasha Royale, Adria Andrews, Craig and friends at the St. Louis Botanical Garden. It was great to walk around in a very relaxing environment for a few hours. Just what I needed to get my mind off the events to come and have some fun.

To The Miss Gay Missouri America Promoters, Thank you for all the hospitality throughout the year and for making me feel special. You are all invaluable members of the Miss Gay Missouri America Family and I am so happy to have gotten to know you all a little better this past year!
​
To The Miss Gay Missouri America Board, Thank you for everything. Thank you for being my rock throughout my reign, thank you for allowing me to express myself and stay individualized. With your guidance I was able to be the best Miss Gay Missouri I could be and am forever grateful!
 
To all the dreamers out there, get up, get out and do something about! Stop sitting around waiting for your dreams to come to you, go out and find them. Being successful in anything is about taking a leap of faith and just going for it. It’s scary but the reward for not just thinking about it and actually doing it is a rewarding experience. I would not be where I am today if I had not put faith in myself and just went for it. Life is too short to be singing shoulda, coulda, woulda! So take that leap and follow your dreams!

Regina La-Rae
Miss Gay Missouri America 2016 

You are probably wondering why I am telling you this story and I’ll explain. In just 6 months Roxxy went from being a newcomer with very little knowledge of pageantry, to an inspiration to everyone around her including myself. She showed me and those around her that all its take is determination, passion, hard work you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I said in an early newsletter “You can’t know true success until you see the beauty in failure.” Instead of getting down on herself, Roxxy took her critiques from each experience and used them as ammo to improve every step of the way!
Asia O’Hara said it best ​

From my First Alternate:

4 contestants came out to compete for Miss Gay Metropolitan America but in the end, it would be Tabbi Katt to capture the title and L'Oréal as her first alternate! Congratulations to you both on getting your tickets to MGMA Comicon in April! ​

 I would like to put the spotlight on someone for a moment, Roxxy Malone AKA Robbie Lawson. I remember the first conversation we had about you entering your first pageant and how nervous you were. You came and impressed me your first time out. Though you didn't capture the title you took your critiques and applied them to better yourself. Seeing you compete for Metropolitan and seeing your growth in such a short time is truly inspiring!

This growth reminded me of what pageantry is all about. So many think all you need to do is by a wig, heels, and make up and boom! You are and entertainer overnight. This type of thinking is coming partially due to RuPaul's Drag Race being so popular. It has been said several times and I'll say it again. The only way to grow is to accept your failures and take the lessons you’ve learned and apply them to better yourself. Hard work and determination will get you everywhere! 
 
It was great to see so many promoters and qualified contestants out to support Miss Gay Metropolitan America:

•  Veronika Versace- Miss Gay City of Columbia
•  Amanda Lay- Miss Gay City of Columbia 1st alternate
•  Karma T. Cassidy- Miss Gay St. Louis
•  Bianca Bliss- Miss Gay Paris Of the Plains
•  Kyra Banks- Miss Gay River City America
• Lindsay Bryant- 1st Alternate Miss Gay Kansas City.

 

•  Lola Vergara and Karma T Cassidy- Promoters of Miss Gay Gateway
•  Kyla Breeze and Mulan Gabby- Promoters of Miss Gay Show Me Pride America
•  Amanda Lay- Promoter of Miss Gay Heart of America (Being held February 10th)
•  Patrick Hall- Promoter for Miss Gay Northwest (Being held February 4th)
•  Dan Rinehart - Promoter of Miss Gay Paris Of the Plains.
•  Grover Vermillion, Matt DeFreece, L’Oréal-  Promoters of Miss Gay Kansas City.
• Jade Sinclair- Promoter of Miss Gay River City America and Miss Gay St Louis America

Thank you Sparkle Iman for traveling up to offer your support of a fellow MGMA sister and board member!

​I also had the honor of being a part of Transformation 2017 All-Stars. Transformations is a charity gala where 13 women were paired with a drag queen and they compete for a cash prize to be donated to a local charity of their choice. I had the pleasure of working with Lisa Carter who did a fantastic job.

Happy New Year!
​
 It's time for a fresh start!  Most of us can agree 2016 had its ups and downs, but we are all richer from the experiences. As we enter 2017, we should head into it with an open mind. Believe that anything is possible if you give it your all!

​ I will start this year in the same way I started last year and that is to start preparing. Preparing for my next step in life, preparing for the possibilities that I see ahead, preparing to make my dreams a reality. I have always been a goal-oriented person but I feel it necessary to start pushing myself even harder to realize my dreams.

2016 for me was an eye opener. We had so many great things happen. We traveled to Florida to spend time with family, my business was featured in the news, we raised lots of money for charity, I captured the title of Miss Gay Missouri America, a title I hold so close to my heart. I was named most photogenic at MGA. I have had the opportunity to travel, meet, and work with some amazing people. I went on my very first cruise. I got to meet Miss Missouri while riding in the STL Pride parade. All off those experiences will stay with me for a lifetime. 

​I hope that you will find the inspiration you need to go after what you want this year. Don't hold back, take the leap of faith and make things happen. You will realize you will be much happier when you start thinking about the possibilities that are ahead of you and stop thinking about the past and what could have been.

​My time as Miss Gay Missouri America so far has been truly fantastic and I know that there is more to come but I wanted to say thank you. Thank you to all who supported me, thank you to all who believe in me, and thank you all for inspiring me. Without all of you there would be no MGMA and I know that I speak for the board when I say we love and cherish each and every one of our fans, followers, and family.

​I pledge to make the best of 2017.
I pledge to make my dreams a reality.
I pledge to share more experiences with those who mean something to me.
I pledge to make something of myself.
And most of all I pledge to inspire others.

What will you pledge to do in 2017?
 
There are only 4 preliminaries left to get your ticket to MGMA! This will be a fantastic year for MGMA don't miss out on a chance to be apart of it!

• Miss Metropolitan. Held at the Grey Fox in St. Louis. January 21st, 2017 Contact Adria Andrews
• Miss Gay Northwest. Held at The Landing Theater in St. Joseph. February 4th, 2017 Contact Dustin Matthews and Patrick Hall
• Miss Heart of Missouri Held at Ying Yang in Colombia February 10th, 2017 Contact Amanda Lay.
• Mis Spirit of St. Louis. Held at The Grey Fox in St. Louis. March 11th 2017. Contact Orlando Burton

RIP Carrie Fisher! Drowned in the moonlight, strangled by her own bra.
RIP Debbie Reynolds! May The Force Be With You and will you forever know how to sing in the rain!

I posted this picture because it speaks volumes in the pageantry world. For years, I've heard of people trying to pit different systems against each other.  To see reining queens come together with such a powerful message in a much need time is amazing.

My hope is to see us, as the state of Missouri, doing the same - supporting each other and standing up for one another.  There is so much negativity within our community, and I think we forget about the most important parts of life. We've got bigger fish to fry (Trump was just elected president) 

I would love to see us all unite as one and come together as a state to love and support each other. Let's stop hating our own kind and stand together against those who hate us.

With only 3 months of preliminaries left, don't miss out on the chance to get your ticket to the big dance in April!

January 21, 2017 Miss Gay Metropolitan (Adria Andrews)
February 4, 2017 Miss Gay Northwest (Dustin & Patrick)
February 10, 2017 Miss Gay Heart of Missouri (Amanda Lay)
March 11, 2017 Miss Gay Spirt of St. Louis (Orlando Burton)

Don't miss out on something you heart is destine to be!!

Ricky McRoy/ Sparkle Iman
MGM 2008

Can you believe it's December?  Where has the time gone? I guess it’s true what they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

November was a great month, it started with a trip to Springfield, MO for the Miss Gay Springfield America pageant. Springfield is a two day event that starts off with a Forever Miss Gay Springfield America review show. It was so great to see the MGSA sisterhood in action, they truly look out for each other's wellbeing! I got to share the stage with Akasha Royale helping to host and it was a fantastic time!

On Saturday the pageant began with two contestants that are no strangers to the MGMA stage, Musica Malone and Ruby Diamond. It was a great pageant to watch and was also the last time we would see contestants competing in the solo talent category. Both contestants were fantastic but it would be Ruby Diamond to capture the title of Miss Gay Springfield America and Musica Malone placing 1st alternate, both gaining a ticket to MGMA COMICON in April at the MCC church in St. Louis!

​The following week would be one of the most important of our lifetime with the presidential election. I had so many thoughts in my head while watching in shock and awe as the results came in. My mind is still racing and I found comfort and encouragement in the words of wisdom from myself and some of our title holders in the MGMA family. 

On November 18th I traveled to Columbia, MO for the return of the Miss Gay Columbia Missouri America pageant after a two year hiatus. Promoter Musica Malone would breathe new life into the sisterhood and she did so with a bang. Four contestants showed up in hopes of being crowned the next MGCOC. Molly Alice Minx, Veronika Versace, Amanda Lay, and Lucie Lush. It was an amazing contest to watch all four contestants brought their “A” game and there was no telling who would win but it was pageant newbie, Veronika Versace, to capture the title and Amanda Lay to place 1st alternate. Though Veronika Versace is new to pageantry, she really turned heads with her professionalism in Male interview, her grace and elegance in evening gown and her incredible speaking skills during onstage question. 

My favorite thing for November was I got a surprise visit from my mother, I didn't think I would get to see her again until next April! She always had the talent for showing up when I needed her. I love you mama!

Thanksgiving was a great time with Kevin’s family. Spent the day eating great food and talking out preparations for my first cruise ever! We leave on December 2nd with Kevin’s family to the western Caribbean and Eastern Mexico cruising the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. I'm filled with excitement and nervousness all at once!

Looking at what’s to come, I will be starting a highlighted contestant of the month video segment as well as a road to MGMA video segment to keep everyone up to date with what’s happening! My preparation camps will go from not only online but to in person meetings as well! I am very excited to bring more to the MGMA family following the New Year!!!

Have a happy holiday, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hello friends, family and fans of Miss Gay Missouri America.

 Another year is coming to an end quickly and a whole of things happened this year, some that will for sure make the history books, but somehow through it all we will survive. Miss Gay Missouri has been very busy doing a fantastic job overseeing all of the 7 preliminaries and guiding the 14 qualified contestants on all the changes in the America system. Regina has also been working with promoters and the board to help make MGMA 2017 a smooth transition. We are so proud to announce again the MGMA 2017 will be returning to St. Louis Mo. at the MCC church on April 6th 7th and 8th. Watch for the MGMA teasers coming to Facebook and posters will be out and up soon and adds for the souvenir program will also be availible as well. So if you need a poster or want to advertise your business in the program reach out to Regina or one of the board members and we will get that information to you and get your ads going. While we are on this subject, tickets will be coming as well so don’t miss the opportunity to grab them early and save a bit when you purchase all three night in advance. You won’t want to miss our biggest year yet.
Ladies, upcoming preliminaries that are waiting for you to get your qualifying ticket to MGMA 2017 are:

Miss Metropolitan: Grey Fox in St. Louis. January 21st, 2017 Contact Adria Andrews

Miss Gay Northwest: Landing Theater in St. Joseph. February 4th, 2017 Contact Dustin Mathews and Patrick Hall

Miss Heart of Missouri: Ying Yang in Columbia February 10th, 2017 Contact Amanda Lay or Kaighlynn LaFaye

Spirit of St. Louis: The Grey Fox in St. Louis. March 11th 2017. Contact Cierra St James-Monet

So don’t waste time, pick the prelim you want to enter and get your package together and get that ticket. We don’t want anyone to miss out, but you can’t wait till the last minute or you’ll lose your chance to be our next Symbol of Excellence and become part of the MGMA Family.

With only December left in the year and Christmas and New Year’s just weeks away, you will start to think about those new year resolutions or some changes in your life you’d like to make. So while you think on those try to remember this.

2016 was a year that saw a lot of hatred, violence, murder, destruction of businesses, protesting, politicians saying and doing things that were unbelievable, religious groups and minorities verbally and physically attacked, the LGBT community rights being attacked, and yes even the KKK and white supremacist groups have shown their faces of hatred, we have also seen friends and families and our own LGBT community become divided by anger for each other’s opinions. All of the things above have seemed to bring discrimination to the front of the line again. And to the shock of a lot of Americans Donald Trump was elected to be our next president.
 
So you ask,” Why do you say this?” I say this because through it all we as a people and a community of all sexual identities, religious beliefs, ethnic background, political views, wealthy or poor, or any other position you wish to take, YOU and I have within ourselves the ability to love, care, share, hope, strive, support, help and believe in each other as the human race of this world. Each of us feels pain, sorrow, hurt and anger in our life but instead of lashing out at each other let’s help each other. We have the opportunity right in front of us to make this a better world for all of us. So when you think of what you want for the New Year, think of how you can and will help make it a little bit better for us all and I will do the same. Until we meet on the stage of life, be well, be happy, and most of all be blessed. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!
 
Emilio Olvera/Lexsus Chaney
      &
The MGMA Alumni and Board

​Wow! I cannot believe it is already November! Where has the time gone? October was filled with so many experiences that have made me a beer person!
 
I had the pleasure of competing for Miss Gay America while representing Miss Gay Missouri America.  My time at MGA was absolutely amazing!  Meeting so many wonderful people with the same goal as needed was the highlight of the weekend.  

​I can’t say I am happy with my placement. I placed 21 overall and was 9th place in talent. Did I wish to place higher? Yes, but we all make choices that determine our path in anything that we do. I made a few choices that weren't received by the judges and that's ok. I can shoulda, coulda, woulda, myself until I'm blue in the face but I have to remember my mistakes and pick myself up to get back in the race!
 
I am honored to have been selected as MGA 2017 most photogenic! 

I have already selected my preliminary to return to the MGA stage in NOLA!  I will be competing in Columbus, Ohio in Miss Gay Heart of America!
 
Congratulations to our new symbol of excellence Suzy Wong! 

I will say this again. You cannot appreciate success without knowing the beauty of failure. This hold so true to any situation you put your heart out on the line for. We must take these experiences and use them to make us stronger!
 
The weekend following MGA was my hand down of Miss Gay Paris of the Plains. This hand down was made even more special to me when I realized it was my last ever city prelim hand down! Four contestants showed up in hopes of being crowned the next MGPOTP which include the return of Bianca Bliss to the MGMA system. Bianca Bliss went on to be crowned MGPOTP and new comer, Sapphire Reign, would place first alternate! 

We ended the month by traveling to St. Louis in search for the next Miss Gay St. Louis Missouri America. The Miss Gay St. Louis legacy is one of the longest running preliminaries in the MGMA family. It was so great to get to work with so many of the forever MGSLA'S. Four contestants showed up to compete for the title and it would be a top ten finalist from MGMA 2016, Karma T. Cassidy, to capture the title and Mariah Candy to place first alternate. 

​One of my favorite moments from the evening would be, sharing the stage with forever MGSLA Tabbi Katt! She caught me off guard with an impromptu stage interview and it was truly a fantastic moment!

We now have 12 out of 24 contestants qualified for the MGMA 2017 season! The competition is already shaping up to be a great one! Two more chances remain this month to get your ticket to MGMA 2017.
 
November 5th at Miss Gay Springfield to be held at Touché in Springfield, MO.
-Contact Autumn Holiday and Vince Edwards for applications
 (November 4th is the Miss Gay Springfield review show)
 
November 18th at Miss Gay City of Columbia to be held at Ying Yang in Columbia
-Contact Musica Malone for applications

Greetings friends and fans of MGMA!

It’s hard to believe that October marks the halfway point of the MGMA 2017 pageant season.  And what a season it has been thus far!  We’ve qualified 12 amazing contestants and still have another 12 to go!  Hats off to our reigning MGMA, Regina LaRae for really stepping up to the plate and taking on her duties with full force.  It’s going to be a battle for the crown come April of 2017 and I for one can’t wait to see it!

October also marked the crowning of our new Miss Gay America, Suzy Wong!  I hope you will all join me in wishing Suzy the very best on her reign and welcome her to the Show-Me-State for our contest.  Missouri should be VERY proud as we were represented by a fantastic group of entertainers at this year’s Miss Gay America pageant – Regina LaRae (MGM 2016), Miss Priscilla (1st alternate to MGM 2016), Christa Collins (1st alternate to Miss Gay Heart of America & forever MGM 2013), Trixie LaRue (Miss Gay Southern Elegance & forever Miss Gay STL America 2011), and Lindsay Bryant (1st alternate to Southern Elegance).  Christa and Trixie walked away with the Naomi Sims Solo Talent award and Leslie Rage Talent award respectively and also cracked the Top 10!  Regina also took home the honor of this year’s Michael Andrews Photogenic award!  ALL of you made Missouri proud ladies – congratulations on an amazing job!

Miss Gay Missouri was also this year’s recipient of the “Best State Preliminary” Award given by the outgoing MGA, Asia O’Hara.  What an honor to be recognized for the hard work and dedication we present each year.  There is SO much work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure things run as smoothly as possible.  And while we all know there are always unforeseen hiccups, I’d say we do our best to learn and grow from these and apply those to the following year’s pageant.

As many of you already know we are very pleased to welcome MGMA back to St. Louis for 2017!  The Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis will once again play host to our contest and information will be released on the host hotel soon.  I for one am excited to return to the stage that I was crowned on back in 2014 – can’t believe it’s already been 3 years!

2017 is going to be a year of change for Miss Gay America as we say “goodbye” to solo talent and welcome the addition of “presentation” as a category of competition.  We will also be allowing those making the Top 10 to completely change their final night talent presentation.  New music, new sets, new choreography, the whole she-bang!  As the saying goes, the only constant is change!  I know many folks have mixed feeling on this topic but I for one am excited to usher in this new era of MGA!  Keep your eyes peeled to social media as Regina will continue to provide more in-depth info on these topics and more as it becomes available.

Until next time!
Adria Andrews, Miss Gay Missouri America 2014
Miss Gay Missouri America Alumni Association

​September was quite the eventful month!!! The start of the month marked one month that we have been working in our studio at The Arts Asylum. We chose The Arts Asylum to be the new home of our replica costume company, Saints Customs, because of the new friendship that we made with Korey and Courtney after meeting them at Miss Gay Missouri 2016. They have been so accommodating to our every need. Korey Judged me at Paris of the Plains and shortly after the pageant was over he messaged me and said we will be best friends for life, I truly believe this because of the positive energy he exudes!!! For those who may not know MGMA 2015 and 2016 was held at The Arts Asylum.
This month has been truly amazing to us! The Kansas City Star contacted us about doing an interview for a spot in the paper, which in itself was a great feeling. The article was posted online Friday September 16, and was re-ran by several different news outlets within a few short hours of it been out!
Saturday we were in the Kansas City Star newspaper and that gave us a whole two page spread! We were shocked by this because we thought we were just going to be a little blub on the corner of a page. Following the newspaper article we had the honor of being a special guest for the Royals at their Star Wars Day at The K event! This was such an amazing opportunity in itself, in addition to being a special guest, we had the honor of standing on the field while they had a Special needs boy throw the first pitch with Obi-Wan Kenobi as his catcher. These experiences are something I will cherish for a lifetime!!!!  

​Miss Gay Kansas City Missouri America, one of the Longest Running Preliminaries to Miss Gay Missouri America was held September 10th at Missis B’S. Miss Gay Kansas City Missouri America was the first title I won on my journey to become Miss Gay America back in 2012. L’Oréal, Valarie, and Sophia ran a very smooth pageant. From the moment the pageant started it was a pleasant experience for all that were involved! There were 3 contestants Widow Von’Du, Lindsay Bryant, and Destiny Starr. Widow would go on to capture the title of Miss Gay Kansas City Missouri America that night with Lindsay Bryant placing as her first alternate.
Destiny Starr, I have seen at a few preliminaries and I have to say this, you remind me that we all have to start somewhere and have to have the will to succeed. I admire your drive, your passion and you want to improve yourself in every aspect of your life. You have inspired me in so many ways just by staying true to yourself. I hope to see you again and can’t wait until you are finally able to hear your name as a qualified contestant for Miss Gay Missouri 2017.

​Miss Gay Gateway Missouri America, would be the second chance in the month of September for contestants to grab their tickets to Miss Gay Missouri America 2017. Miss Gay Gateway Missouri America celebrated its third year under the ownership of Karma, and Lola on September 24th! The day started with a luncheon that brought everyone together including contestants, dressers and dancers, judges, and any support team the contestants brought with them. This personal touch is just one of many the Miss Gay Gateway Missouri America team added to make for a special day. Five contestants showed up in hopes of being crowned the next Miss Gay Gateway Missouri America. The theme was, Gateway Goes Cosplay! Everything thing from the way the contestants pick their numbers to the swag bags, the decorations and even a cosplay costume contest completed the overall experience! The night was magical! The contest was a very good one to watch. I was thrilled to see so many Promoters, qualified contestants, and future contestants in the house to support Miss Gay Gateway Missouri America,
I would like to name those in attendance because the support of each other is truly what sisterhood is all about!
The Miss Gay Show Me Pride Missouri America team D’Rihanna Weatherby and Miss Priscilla as well as promoters Mulan and Kyla Breeze
Miss Gay Paris of the Plains Promoter Dan Reinhardt,
Miss Gay Northwest Missouri promoter Patrick Hall
Miss Gay Heart Of Missouri promoters Amanda Lay and Kaighlynn LaFaye
Miss Gay Kansas City 1st Alternate Lindsay Bryant
Miss Gay Columbia Missouri Musica Malone
Miss Gay St. Louis and Miss Gay River City Missouri America promoter Jade Sinclair as well as Miss Gay River City 2017 Kyra Banks
Miss Gay Metropolitan promoter Adria Andrews!!
Forever Miss Gay Missouri Sisters in attendance:  Ali Kat 2003, Jade Sinclair 2007, Christa Collins 2013, Adria Andrews 2014, Kyla Breeze 2015.
Moltyn decadence would go on to capture the title of Miss Gay Gateway Missouri America, With Vivian Versace as her 1st alternate. I would like to recognize the other contestants as well because I see so much potential in you all and know you are destined for greatness.
Moltyn brought me to tears while she was modeling evening gown and they were reading her application, When they read the best advice given to her by a Miss Gay America system title holder and it was the advice I had given and I couldn’t maintain my emotions. That Advice? “You cannot understand the beauty of success, without knowing the beauty of failure.” 

Miss Gay America is here!!!! All the preparations from rhinestoning, talking to myself(in preparation for male interview), sewing, fittings, rehearsals, long nights, and early mornings, have led up to this moment. We will travel to Memphis, TN on the 4th to compete alongside 39 other determined individuals.
Even though this will be my first time at Miss Gay America, I feel as though I have prepared myself to take on the job at hand. Several have said “Just go and have fun, don’t worry about winning your first time.” Some of that advice is correct, I should go and have fun but my eye should be on the top position because I have prepared myself for this moment. Though many Forever MGMA sisters have gone before me and done well in the competition but have not successfully captured the title and I believe I have the ability to do so.
The reason for that is I have the knowledge and support of those who have been in my position to drive me to win. You don’t start acting as MGA once you have qualified or only act as though you are on your best behavior while you are competing being MGA requires living as such 365 days a year. Treating those around you with respect, surrounding yourself with positive people and conducting yourself with the upmost of excellence day in and day out. So I will leave here on October 4th with my head held high with the confidence that I will return with the title of Miss Gay America, because in my mind I am already Miss Gay America!!!

Regina La-Rae
Miss Gay Missouri America 2016
 
Upcoming preliminaries
Miss Gay Paris of the Plains Missouri America, October, 16th at Sidekicks Saloon with Dan Reinhardt as the promoter.
Miss Gay St. Louis Missouri America, October 29th at The Grey Fox with Jade Sinclair as the promoter. 

Happy October,
 
Another month has come and gone as we begin the Autumn season. Although the seasons have changed, the HEAT is still here! Along with this heat, it’s as if the pageant season heat for the 2017 year has also increased greatly over this last month. Our first of the two preliminaries this month was Miss Gay Kansas City 2017. It was a pleasure to sit back and watch a prelim go down from a spectator point of view, and it was an even greater pleasure to witness L’oreal, Sophia Sirrah, and Valari Knyte place yet another successful Miss KC in the history books. The contest turned in a lineup of 3 lovely individuals vying for their tickets to the state competition in April. At the end of the evening, though, it was Widow VonDu who claimed victory and Lindsay Bryant placing first alternate, in which will make both of them entered contestants into Miss Gay Missouri, America 2017.
The second prelim of the season landed on the other side of the state as Karma T. Cassidy and Lola Vergara promoted and added their third jewel to the Miss Gay Gateway legacy since taking ownership of this preliminary. It is always a privilege and treat to be in the proximity of these two loving and caring individuals… SMILES for days when I am in their presence! This preliminary turned in 5 talented contestants attempting to grab the 7th and 8th tickets of the year. It was an honor to have been chosen to judge this preliminary and witness firsthand all the small things that Luis and Greg continue to do for their judges, contestants, and contestants’ teams to make them feel at ease through their seamless event. After a well fought competition, it was Moltyn Decadence who walked away with the crown and title as Vivian Versace placed behind her as the first alternate.
Congratulations to all 4 gentlemen, who are now on their way to compete at the state competition in April 2017!
 
I would like to take a moment to talk about personal branding and identifying/embracing the unique characteristics that make us who we are as individuals. During Miss Gay Gateway there was an individual by the name of Roxxy Malone that really left an impression on me, not only as a judge but as someone that sees fresh and intriguing qualities that we must not forget during our competition strategies. Often times it is said that in order to be Miss Gay (insert title here) we must groom and mold ourselves in a manner that allows us to place ourselves into a neatly packaged box for the offering of such title. While the America pageantry system does have a set of rules and guidelines for our competition, including category descriptions that outline what criteria is utilized in order to better our results, this does not mean that we cannot remain true to who we are.
 If for instance you are an individual that has a professional background that allows you to explore your creativity, this is something that you would want to highlight during your Male Interview category explaining what it is that you do and how what you currently do will easily translate into being a state titleholder. I will use myself as an example…
 I currently work as a Unit Manager overseeing 11 employees in a Quality Assurance Department. One of our main objectives is providing quality results to our clients, and this can easily translate to being the state’s symbol of excellence because thriving for a qualitative product is something I am used to on a daily basis.
If for instance you have a petite figure in your female illusion and you are proud of your body then this is something that you would want to make sure is showcased when choosing the Evening Gown that you choose for competition. I will use myself as an example…
I would not describe myself as someone that is extremely graceful nor has the ability to model with feminine hand movements. To make up for my lack of modeling capabilities I embrace the fact that I love to smile. I am confident in my smile, and because of this I find it easy to sell what I’m wearing by embracing my smile and making eye contact directly with each judge. I tend to model at a slower pace, and when it comes to showing the front and back of the gown I take longer pauses facing forward to showcase my confident smile.
If for instance you are an individual that has a background in trained dancing or singing then this is something that you might want to showcase for your talents… And if you are equally talented at singing AND dancing, like MGMA 2013 Christa Collins, then you might want to combine the two to provide that wow factor. I will use myself as an example.
I like to do a dance number occasionally, but I would not classify myself as someone that can dance to a point of being comfortably critiqued. So what I can do is start with a little choreography that is playful and upbeat, couple this choreography with some dancers, add some theatrics by placing a few extra bodies onstage that pantomime and add layers to the number, then top this all off by embracing the kind of music that I grew up with… COUNTRY! But to ensure this music choice can be appealing to a variety of people, I want to find a theme and add a more current song selection that is pop based but has a country feel to it. This recipe will allow me to showcase and embrace not only my country roots but also my playful side, while presenting some dancing and theater qualities that has the potential to be a memorable production number.
I hope all this makes sense and the message is coming across. While we are taking the time to “fit ourselves inside a box”, we must not forget who it is we are and what it is that we are passionate about. If all this is said and done, you have the ability to put together a strong competition package while ALSO creating a unique personal brand that only you can seamlessly offer from start to finish. EMBRACE YOUR INDIVIDUALITY AND BY ALL MEANS SELL IT!
 
Heading into October will be yet another busy month for our reigning, Regina La-Rae. Along with overseeing two preliminaries this coming month, she will also be heading to Memphis, Tennessee for the national competition with our first alternate, Miss Priscilla. Please assist me in wishing these two individuals and dear friends all the luck in the world as they showcase our state and what it is that we have to offer in a strong attempt to capture the national title! Listed below are also our next two chances for all potential contestants within the Missouri system to capture their qualifications to the state competition:
Miss Gay Paris of the Plains 2017, October 16th 2016, held at Sidekicks Saloon and promoted by Dan Rinehart – honoring the reigning Regina La-Rae

Miss Gay Saint Louis 2017, October 29th 2016, held at The Grey Fox and promoted by Jade Sinclair – honoring the reigning Nadia M Louis
 
Here’s to another successful month, and remember there is no time like the present.
 
Yours Truly,
Kyla Breeze
MGMA Alumni Committee

​Wow, what a month! August was absolutely amazing. The month started off with dropping off the rent and picking up the keys to our new studio space. It is so great to get the work out of the house and to be able to work on a regular schedule and work more at work and relax more at home. We chose the studio at the Arts Asylum because of the way that we were treated during Miss Gay Missouri America and I think that it's a great relationship to have it'll be a lasting relationship that we can all truly appreciate.
Destiny’s Child was a huge success! Thank you everyone who came out to see the show! I cannot thank Genewa Stanwyck enough for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the show

It has been a nice relaxing month with little Miss Gay Missouri duties I will have to say though I do miss it already and I'm very happy that September has two prelims so two chances to qualify for Miss Gay Missouri 2017. The first chance is Miss Gay Kansas City September 10th at Missie B's with the reigning being Miss Monique Hart under the promoters Grover Vermillion, L'Oreal, and Matt Defreece. Miss Gay Kansas City has a long legacy and I am part to be a part of that as Miss Gay Kansas City 2012.

The second chance is Miss Gay Gateway Missouri September 24th, where Gateway goes cosplay! The reigning Allessandra Blaze and promoters Lola Vergara and Karma T. Cassidy have a great night planned for you!

The trip to Miss Gay America is coming up really fast! As we get closer my excitement level grows. From the moment I first entered a preliminary to Miss Gay Missouri, the dream was always to make it to MGA, and I am so glad to be going to MGA as Miss Gay Missouri for my first trip! I can truly say that my nerves are keeping under control and I am truly feeling the excitement. I have a new set being made and a new set of back up dancers as well. I have two new gowns in the works as well as new hair for all-star hair stylist Moltyn Decadence!! I have also started constructing my presentation costume! I can’t wait to show everyone what Missouri has to offer!!
 
Failure! Everyone is afraid of that word, they are afraid of what may happen if they do not succeed but the truth is, without failure  we would not know the true beauty of success. Some of the most successful people in this world have gotten to where they are by learning from their failures. It took me four attempts to win Miss Gay Missouri, each time I did not succeed it only made me that much stronger. S what I say to you is GO FOR IT! Reach for your dreams do not let anyone (especially yourself) or the fear of failure hold you back!
​
From Backstage.com
Actors are always told that if they want to survive in this industry, they have to learn how to deal with rejection. That’s absolutely true, but I would argue there’s another demon out there that demands your attention too. And that demon’s name is failure.
We live in a country that places a high value on success. This is America. We’re No. 1. Failure is not an option. It’s a quaint thought that ignores our recent military and economic blunders, but if you ask me, it’s an ignorant concept that gets in the way of true success.
Failure is healthy, normal, and necessary.
Steve Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985. It was a very public failure. And as we all know, the man went on to change the world. As he said in his 2005 Stanford address: “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life…. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.”

Upcoming preliminaries:
Miss Gay Kansas City. Held at Missie Bs. Saturday September 10th, 2016 Contact Loreal KC or Grover Vermillion
Miss Gateway Missouri. Held at Grey Fox in St. Louis. September 24th, 2016 Contact Karma T Cassidy and Lola Vergara
Miss Gay Paris of the Plains. Held at Sidekicks Saloon in Kansas City. October 16th 2016 Contact Dan Rinehart
Miss St Louis. Held at The Grey Fox in St. Louis. October 29th, 2016 Contact Jade Sinclair
Miss Gay Springfield Held at Touché in Springfield. November 4th and 5th, 2016 Contact Autumn Holiday and Vince Edwards
Miss City of Columbia. Held at Ying Yang in Colombia November 18th. 2016 contact Musica Malone.
Miss Metropolitan. Held at Grey Fox in St. Louis. January 21st, 2017 Contact Adria Andrews
Miss Gay Northwest. Location the Landing Theater in St. Joseph. February 4th, 2017 Contact Dustin Mathews and Patrick Hall
Miss Heart of Missouri Held at Ying Yang in Colombia February 10th, 2017 Contact Amanda Lay or Kaighlynn LaFaye
Spirit of St. Louis. Held at The Grey Fox in St. Louis. March 11th 2017. Contact Cierra St James-Monet

July flew by so fast! It started off with a big bang, I was excited to have my mother in town. My mother came to the show on a Friday night stay Missie Bs, she came in the back room at Missie Bs to talk to the performers to inspire them and had everyone in tears speaking about her experiences.
​
Our second preliminary Miss Gay Show me Pride was this month and it was truly an amazing experience! Starting at registration where we had five amazing contestants competing for the title and hoping to be crowned the very first Miss Gay Show me Pride. Mulan really set out to make the night special with decorations to complement their theme. The entire night was truly wonderful from the contestants bringing their A game to how smoothly the pageant ran. Although we had five contestants only two could move on D'Rihanna Weatherbey would go on to capture the title with Miss Priscilla placing first alternate! 

I am very lucky to have had two Benefits in the month of July to help raise funds for the trip to Memphis for Miss Gay America. The first was organized by L'Oreal and I am forever grateful for her setting it up for Priscilla and I Also a special thanks to Amanda Lay for organizing the second on in Columbia, MO.

​I am very pleased to say that my reign has already been filled with so many great memories and can’t see what else there is to come.

This month Moltyn Decadence, Kita Rose and I are preparing for an amazing show produced by Genewa Stanwyck! August 5th and 6th we will present a concert style Destiny's Child show! If you are in the Kansas City area tickets are for sale at

​FRIDAY; Bugaboo.brownpapertickets.com
SATURDAY; billsbills.brownpapertickets.com

​I am very excited to jump start my preparation to Miss Gay America to make all of you proud! I have finalized the design for my set which I am very happy to unveil! The one challenge I did run into was losing one of my best dancer but I couldn't be happier for her following her dreams and becoming successful and I am so glad I got the chance to work with her!
If I may offer some advice to everyone that I hope will inspire you to continue to follow your dreams. Sometimes in life we are challenged and pushed to our breaking point, when this happens you must not give up on your dreams. Though it may get hard and it seems you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, you must create your own light.
 
I read the Article and wanted to share it with all of you!
Of all the goals people set in life, two stand out: success in our personal and professional lives. It turns out, these two are interdependent.
Personal success supports and reinforces professional success. Professional success reinforces personal success. And together, they reinforce life’s most important pursuit — happiness.

That’s why both goals are on top of everyone’s agenda, especially the 20-something generation, as they begin the life journey from their parents’ nest.
How are these goals achieved? What does it take?
If you ask Rhonday Byrne, she’d tell you it’s The Law of Attraction.
Byrne argues in The Secret for the power of positive thoughts, which she says will act as a powerful magnet to bring things your way, and help you to identify and externalize your internal strengths and capabilities. Put good things in your mind, says Byrne, and they’ll happen.
While positive thought may be a necessary condition for bringing out strengths and capabilities, it isn’t sufficient, counters Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica in The Element. That’s the second secret to success.
Maybe you are exceptional in drawing, dancing, cooking, or some other field. That’s where you ought to position yourself. You must find your own “element,” your passion– the right field of study, the right occupation, sport or activity that matches your inner strengths and capabilities — which you might or might not even know you possess.
Besides, luck, being in the right place at the right time often makes a big difference – which is why you should be willing to try and try again, learning how to endure failure. That’s the third secret of success, according to Scott Adams, author of How to Fail at Almost everything and still Win Big. “There is plenty of luck to go around; you just need to keep your hand raised until it’s your turn,” argues Adams. “If you drill down into any success story, you always discover that luck was a huge part of it. You cannot control luck, but you can move from a game with bad odds to one with better odds. You can make it easier for luck to find you. The most useful thing you can do is stay in the game. If your current get-rich project fails, take what you learned and try something else. Keep repeating until something lucky happens.”
The problem is, however, we cannot keep trying forever. Our life journey may finish before we raise our hand a sufficient number of times to take advantage of what statisticians call the “law of large numbers” – which provides equal chances for each possible outcome to occur.
Besides, getting your turn to succeed won’t work unless you can execute, and steer away from harmful behavior that destroys whatever progress you have made towards success. That’s where the fourth secret comes in: get your priorities right; use your resources wisely; stay focused; develop the right relations; don’t be greedy; and don’t be complacent—as we have discussed in a separate piece.
 
We have several preliminaries coming up to grab you tickets to the big dance in April.
 
Miss Gay Kansas City. Held at Missie Bs. Friday September 10th, 2016 Contact Loreal or Grover
 
Miss Gateway Missouri. Held at Grey Fox in St. Louis. September 24th, 2016 Contact Karma T Cassidy and Lola Vergara
 
Miss Gay Paris Of the Plains. Held at Sidekicks Saloon in Kansas City. October 16th 2016 Contact Dan Reinhardt
 
Miss St Louis. Held at The Grey Fox in St. Louis. October 29th, 2016 Contact Jade Sinclair
 
Miss Gay Springfield Held at Touché in Springfield.  November 4th and 5th, 2016 Contact Autumn Holiday and Vince Edwards
 
Miss City of Columbia. Held at Ying Yang in Colombia November 18th contact Musica Malone
 
Miss Metropolitan. Held at Grey Fox in St. Louis. January 21st, 2017 Contact Adria Andrews
 
Miss Gay Northwest. Held at The Landing Theater in St. Joseph. February 4th, 2017 Contact Dustin Matthews and Patrick Hall
 
Miss Heart of Missouri Held at Ying Yang in Colombia February 11th, 2017 Contact Amanda Lay.
 
Spirit of St. Louis. Held at The Grey Fox in St. Louis. March 11th 2017. Contact Orlando Burton

​Greetings Miss Gay Missouri America family!

During the month of July 2016 we had an amazing preliminary and 2 great benefit shows.

On July 16, the Miss Gay Show Me Pride was hosted by Kyla Breeze and Mulan. The venue was Sidekicks in Kansas City, with 5 contestants vying for the title and getting their golden ticket to  Miss Gay Missouri America. The winner of the Miss Gay Show Me Pride was D'Rihanna Weatherbey, with her first alternate, Miss Priscilla. Congratulations ladies!

On July 15, a benefit show was given for Miss Gay Missouri America, Regina La-Rae, and her first alternate, Miss Priscilla. The benefit was hosted by L'Oreal, at Missie B's in Kansas City.

On July 29, a benefit show was given for Miss Gay Missouri America, Regina La-Rae. It was hosted as the Promoter Review Show at the Yin Yang Club in Columbia.

We also learned at the beginning of the month that we will have a returning preliminary in Columbia, the Miss Gay Columbia pageant, hosted by Musica Malone. 

Upcoming events:

Nothing is planned for the month of August. 

Saturday, September 10
Miss Gay Kansas City- in Kansas City 
Promoted by L'Oreal, Valari Knyte, and Matt DeFreece

Saturday,  September 24
Miss Gay Gateway - in St Louis 
Promoted by Karma Cassidy and Lola Vergara 

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Steve Hurley

​Wow, what a month June was. It all started with a trip to Hannibal, Missouri for Miss River City! This was the first preliminary of the 2017 MGMA Pageant season. It was a great trip. I had a preconceived notion of what the experience in Hannibal would hold, I have to say after making it in town and seeing the venue I was blown away from the start by the hospitality of the owners of QPEX. They really know how to treat a queen and their patrons. It was a wonderful hand down by Moltyn Decadence. We had two contestants, Kyra Banks and Allessandra Blaze. Kyra Banks would go on to capture the title making Allessandra Blaze her first alternate thus gaining them the first two spots for to MGMA 2017! 

The following weekend, Kevin and I traveled to Hutchinson, KS for Smallville Comicon.  It is amazing to see a small town care so much about a comicon convention. They change the name of the town to Smallville for the week of the convention and you can even get your mail post marked from Smallville, Kansas. For those that don’t know, Smallville, Kansas was the “birth” place of young Super Man, Clark Kent. Though the weekend started off with lots of fun and laughter it quickly came to a screeching halt Sunday morning.

I woke up in my hotel room got up showered and did the normal thing you do in 2016 started scrolling through Facebook. Without scrolling far I saw the horrifying news of the attack on the LGBT community in Orlando. I was stunned by this news to the point of being speechless. Being an Orlando native my first thought was to check on those closest to me that are still currently living in the city, once I had checked in with everyone there was a slight sigh of relief that was quickly taken away by my thoughts of the then 20 victim count.
As the day progressed my feeling got more and more uneasy as more information about the shooting was being released.  When. The final count of 49 dead and 53 injured came out my eyes filled with tears thinking about those who lost their lives and the families affected by this tragic event. When they started releasing the names of the victims the first thing I noticed were the ages of each, every one of them so young with so much more life a head of the and it was all taken away from them in a place that should be a safe haven for the LGBT community all because of the hatred in one man’s heart. I still think about it and how this could have happened and could still happen anywhere at any time. We now more than ever we need to be strong and help our fellow community members we are stronger than people think. Our brothers and sisters need us now more than ever.
​
I know I have said this before but it holds to be true even more, follow your dreams! Go after the things in life you wish most to achieve. You cannot reach these goal and realize your true potential unless you take a leap of faith and make things happen. It is never too late, if you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, no matter what age group do what makes you happy and keep smiling. 
 
I scream for change! Please take a moment and say each of their names: 

​June also held the date for Miss Gay Quincy. I had the pleasure of being asked to judge the Miss Gay Quincy pageant at the Complex in Quincy, IL. The pageant was great and all the contestants were amazing, but there could on be one winner. Moltyn Decadence, a Miss Gay Missouri top 5 contestant would walk away with the title and it was truly well deserved.

The month ended on a very high note as I traveled to St. Louis for PrideSTL and what an amazing experience it was!!! The weekend started out Friday morning packing up a ford mustang convertible (borrowed from a friend to use for the parade) I had to condense as much as possible to make sure we fit everything plus three grown men in this car. Friday night was the kick off of my festivities in STL at Bar PM with Adria Andrews in the AbFab Friday Show, The Show featured myself, Jessica Leigh Foster and Melissa Marnier. Bar PM was simply amazing, a small but mighty bar. The patrons that were there attending the show were absolutely amazing and the owners James Pence and Chad Wick were truly exceptional people. They really know how to treat their cast and special guest and it was an honor to perform on their stage. I would like to Thank Adria Andrews so much for inviting me out showing me a wonderful time.
 
Saturday we were able to explore a little bit in St. Louis before heading back to the hotel to paint for my appearance on the main stage at pride. Being on the main stage was absolutely amazing. It was so great to see so many of the younger generation at pride with their families now more than ever we need to teach the younger generation about love and acceptance so it was great to so the families that brought out their smallest children. I would like to thank Flo for giving up some of her time on the main stage to accommodate myself. Later that night I had the opportunity to perform at the Grey Fox with Jade Sinclar, Nadia M Louis, Janessa Highland and Adria Andrews. This was again another magical night of love, laughter, and lots of fun! the crowd was wonderful and I truly enjoyed myself.
 
Sunday morning didn’t come easy after being out the night before and having so much fun but I was up bright and early (7:00am) to paint for the parade. The parade was a truly fantastic experience. It started with a little girl being pushed in a stroller asking her dad if she could have pictures with “the princess” and she just kept calling me a beautiful princess and it just made me smile. One of the best moments of pride happened Sunday morning while waiting for the parade to start and that was getting the opportunity to meet the first openly gay Miss Missouri Erin O’Flaherty and having the chance to capture a beautiful moment of Miss Gay Missouri America and Miss Missouri America together! She was so great and we bonded over the fact that we are Missouri Sisters, I hope to have another encounter with her again! Sunday afternoon we traveled back to Bar PM for a BBQ and good times with friends old and new. Thank you St. Louis for a truly amazing experience, I will certainly be back!!!!

Of course in the middle of the busy year so far as MGMA 2016, Part of it is to continue to prepare for Miss Gay America! There is a benefit show that is being held for Priscilla and I at Missie B’s on July 15th at 8pm to help us on our journey together to MGA this coming October in Memphis.
 
We have a wonderful new prelim scheduled this month. Miss Show Me Pride! Promoters Mulan and Kyla Breeze have been planning one wonderful pageant and I can’t wait to see what they have come up with. Be sure to join us July 16th, at 7pm located at Sidekicks Saloon.