October 2016 - Regina's Intergalactic Transmissions

​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. 

FROM THE BOARD

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