The Penelope Perspective - APRIL 2025

Hello Missouri—and Happy Spring!

As warmer weather approaches and my first 30 days as Miss Gay Missouri America come to a close, I felt it was time to officially introduce myself and let you know what I’ve been up to. It has already been a whirlwind experience—one that my team and I were fully prepared for. We’ve taken that momentum and launched our flight toward Miss Gay America 2026, as well as the exciting journey to crown the next Miss Gay Missouri America next spring.

Let’s start with introductions. I was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, for most of my life before moving to Texas for college in 2016. From a young age, my life was filled with music and the performing arts, which eventually led to a full career as a choreographer, designer, and performer in the world of theatre and dance. I still work in that field today as a freelance theatrical lighting, scenic, and visual designer for entertainment venues and theatres across the country. But it wasn’t until I moved to Orlando and saw drag for the first time that I fell deeply in love with the art form. After that—well, as they say, the rest is history. When I moved back to Missouri during the pandemic, I continued to build my brand and develop the persona that is Penelope Booze.

Fast forward a few years, and we arrive at March 2024, when I made my first attempt at the Miss Gay Missouri crown. That year, I gained invaluable insight—not only about my drag, goals, and dreams, but also about myself as a person. I learned how to build a team as driven as I was, how to apply feedback effectively, and how to present the best version of myself through a personal pageant package. Applying all of that knowledge to this year’s pageant led to my being crowned the 51st Miss Gay Missouri America—and we haven’t slowed down since.

I asked our promoters to remember that “There’s Always a Seat at the Table” with Miss Gay Missouri America. I believe that anyone who wants to be Miss Missouri can be—if they’re ready to put in the work it takes to show their best self. I don’t want anyone to think they can’t be Miss Missouri because they don’t have the “right” look, or they’re nervous about interview, or they don’t have a perfected talent. It’s my goal this year to ensure that anyone with the desire to be Miss Missouri has access to the tools or connections they need to prepare for that job.

On a broader scale, if we’re going to stand against the bigotry and injustice that we will no doubt face in the coming months and years, we’ll need all the help we can get. We need as many people at the “table” as possible—to plan, to speak out, to protest, to legislate, and to be visible. Pageants and Miss Missouri may seem like a small part of that equation, but I intend to use every ounce of my platform to make as much noise as possible—with as many contestants, promoters, and patrons as I can. By growing Miss Gay Missouri America—by increasing the interest and attendance at our prelims and events—we send a clear message: we are here, and we’re not going anywhere.

I look forward to sharing all the exciting things we have planned for this year in the weeks and months to come—and I hope to see you somewhere around our great state of Missouri very soon!

Until then, with much love and respect,
Penelope Booze
51st Miss Gay Missouri America