Liza with a Z

by Ellen in

First, I'd like to say thank you, Spring, for finally making an appearance this week:

I wanted to write this post to talk about one of the most...ahem...interesting experiences/adventures I've ever had: the Miss Mid-America Pageant. Don't worry, I will explain. It's a preliminary pageant for the Miss Gay America Pageant. That's right folks, DRAG.

It was beautiful, lively, hilarious, entertaining, sparkly, sequin-y, and a cause that is worthy of attention and not just jokes. These men are so devoted to this that they spend 10s of 1000s of $$$ on costumes, makeup, traveling, and promotion. Female impersonation is not just a hobby for them, it's a lifestyle. And as an actual female, let me say two things about it: 1. I'm completely flattered that these men love women so much that they like to impersonate us. It makes me appreciate all the good things about actually being a woman, as basic as it is. Not just the clothes, or the makeup, or the hair. It's about class, grace, and beauty. It helps me embrace what comes naturally with my gender, and it makes me want to put more of it into practice. And these men can impersonate WELL some pretty amazing women--a Rockette, Lady Ga-Ga (of course), Dolly Parton, and Wonderwoman. 2. They are WAYYY better at being a woman than I am, that is, if being a woman means sequined dresses, pretty hair, artful makeup, and graceful talent. These men are trying to epitomize the excitement of being a woman...although it ends up being more a supreme exaggeration rather than the reality of femaleness.

Speaking of Wonderwoman, this is Rodney, Miss Gay Tennessee. We became friends. She was fantastic.
The 6 contestants:
Now, if I hadn't told you these were men, would you have known?
There's a huge part of me that's a feminist. I want equality everywhere--on the job, in a store, in the church, in a marriage, on the street. Nowadays, actual feminists are crazytown because equality actually does exist in all these venues. And no one ever said you had to be a woman to be a feminist. These guys, who always say their real names, put themselves on display to show their love for women and their gay community. And there are even a few rules for pageant participation-- no plastic surgery below the face, no estrogen supplements, always wear pantyhose, always ALWAYS maintain class, keep your solo talent to under 3 minutes.

Apparently, at drag shows, when you perform, others will come up and give you money.
This girl was my favorite. She was the MC for the evening and was Miss Gay America 2004. She was hilarious and wonderful!
And, talent actually=lip-syncing really really well.
And dancing, too!
Anyway, it was so much fun and I wanted to be one of them because they look like they have so much fun. Half the time, I forgot they were dudes. I just HAD to post pictures, sorry if you're offended. But, like a teacher once told me, "if you let something offend you, you let it control you" and that's no fun. Let's all just love each other and dress up like hot girls! Yayyyy