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March 2008 Edition Of
"The Excellence"
Mikaila's
Mirror
 “ Up Up and Away” Its time to begin March…. (Drum roll please.........)
Ladies and gentlemen the pageant season is about to explode this month starting
off with my first official preliminary to nationals…Miss Mid America in
Memphis TN on March 14th. China Collins will be stepping down and we will be
crowning our next Miss Mid America. I am also excited to say that Miss Keystone
America is on March 28th in York PA where we will be watching Araya Sparxx step
down, and then the following day, Miss Gay Delaware America on March 29th,
in Christiana Delaware, where Miss D Meaner will be stepping down to crown our
next Miss Gay Delaware. You may log onto www.missgayamerica.com for any further
information about these prelims. Or feel free to contact me if I can be of any
assistance via the Internet at www.myspace.com/mikailakay,
or at misskaymga2008@hotmail.com.
I am so thrilled to have had a fabulous month of February. I was blessed with so
much traveling, meeting new people, sharing in first time events and making
history. I am so grateful to have met the fabulous people I did along with
learning tricks of the trade along the way.
February started off strong as I had the privilege of being in
Jacksonville
Florida
and working at In Cahoots with Karrisa Wade. It was nice to get invited down to
do a small tour and just introduce what the system is all about in
Jacksonville
… not many people there knew about Miss Gay America. I ventured off to
Delaware
next where I got to be a part of a Miss Gay America tour. I started off at Bob
& Barbra’s in Philly working with the wonderful Lisa Lisa and of course
some fellow friends Miss D Meaner and Lady Lords. I then worked my way to
BALTIMORE
!!!!!
Home of Miss Gay Baltimore
America
. They had such a great turn out and event that night and I was honored and
blessed to be a part of it. Thank you Josie and Rodger. You guys were so
welcoming and lovely and made the event go so smoothly… KUDOS!!!
Saturday I was so blessed to be able to travel to DC with Robert York and
perform at TOWN Dance Boutique now home of Miss Gay DC America for 2008. They
had an amazing show and the bar is very nice. It will be a great venue to hold
such an amazing prelim. Then on Sunday, I was at Cloud Nine with the popular
Miss Peaches along with Ivy, Miss D Meaner, Champaign Douglas, Sierra Spaulding
and Roxy. I also want to thank the family of Lady Lords for allowing me to stay
with them all weekend, and of course a HUGE thank you to Josh (Lady Lords) for
carting me all around and making sure I had a great time. Then I was off to
Louisville
Kentucky
to work with Dakota Lawrence at Club Fusion for a weekend of shows. I had such
a great time there working with the cast of Fusion along with India Ferrah and
Adriana Fuentes.
I now have been home for a week doing shows back in
Phoenix
AZ
and am off again to
Louisville
at the end of the week to head back to Fusion for another great weekend of
touring and shows. I have had nothing but positive experiences in my traveling
other than icy cold weather that I’m not used to yet but I know by the middle
of my reign I will be… This is such an amazing journey. I really can’t
believe I made my dream come true and am Miss Gay America. All my hard work and
listening to the judges and fellow pageant promoters and entertainers really
paid off. I’d like to wish everyone good luck in choosing the prelim that best
suits you. Ask around, contact fellow promoters, see what their prize packages
are and get feed back from their past title holders… all this will help you in
choosing which prelim to run for. Selecting a prelim early on and planning for
it with a little bit of faith can, indeed, go a long way! If you are unsure,
contact the promoters to find out any necessary details for their contest and
introduce yourselves. Allow them to help make your experience as pleasant as
possible.
My advice to anyone wishing to further their experience and make it
to the top this year is LISTENING. Don’t make excuses as to why this or that
didn’t go as planned or blaming it on other people. The judges and your heart
is what you need to listen to. Along with your promoter and ask me what you
think… I will give you my honest opinion.. mind you its only my opinion but
I’m here to help everyone of you. Listening is a major part of what people
DON’T DO and then they wonder why they aren’t progressing anywhere. The
judges and former Miss Gay Americas know what it takes to become the next leader
in Excellence. Just listen and ask lots of questions no matter how big or small
you might think they are because they all add up in the end.
I look forward to seeing each and everyone one of you this year, progress and
climb to the top. Best of luck and don’t forget there’s “ No Day But
Today”
Much Love
Mikaila Kay
Miss Gay America 2008
 From the desk of Larry & Terry
Here
We Go Again…..
It is difficult to believe that another preliminary season is just a
few days from beginning. The first direct preliminary of the Miss Gay America
2009 pageant season will begin in a few days, in
Memphis
,
Tennessee
as we host Miss Mid America 2008. We trust that by now, many of the contestants
have already chosen the preliminary that they would like to enter. There are
several state and regional pageants with dates booked, and hopefully, there will
be several more, before the end of the pageant season. We encourage contestants
to choose a preliminary and stick with it, no matter who you have heard is going
to enter. Set your goals and do not let anyway detour you from the road to
success.
This pageant season promises to be a great one and Mikaila Kay is excited and
ready to officially begin his duties as Miss Gay
America 2008. We have spent a lot of time preparing Mikaila Kay to be the
best that he can be, and he is ready to make his mark on the history of this
pageant. With a few city preliminaries, already held, there has already been a
little drama but nothing that is unmanageable. In fact, as we explained to
Mikaila, if many would behave themselves, demonstrate good sportsmanlike conduct
and act appropriately, being the reigning Miss Gay America would be an otherwise
amazingly incredible year. Unfortunately, from time to time, when an arrogant
attitude and poor sportsmanship are blended, they spell d-r-a-m-a, but this is
the very reason why the pageant regulations exist. The regulations provide the
basic requirements of this contest and exist to enable the reigning Miss Gay
America and the Promoters, to have a better pageant experience. Most of the
time, when things go wrong during a preliminary, it is because some violated a
regulation or simply overlooked attention to detail. As we explain to our new
promoters, these regulations are in no way the product of L & T
Entertainment wanting to be controlling but rather are a product of our
commitment to the titleholders and promoters, to help them realize a smoother
pageant. We have seen time and time again, that without boundaries, many would
behave in a manner that is not in the best interest of the Miss Gay America
pageant system. The expectations are clear…those who can comply with the
requirements, we welcome you. Those who can’t, we wish you the best of luck.
This system was founded on a commitment to Excellence and for as long as we own
this national contest, we too are committed to enforce the guidelines that in
the long run, will make the entertainers, promoters and former titleholders
better respected throughout the country. Of course we all tend to get upset,
when our favorites do win, no matter the contest, but if our support is going to
sustain, we must respect the decision of the panel of judges and respect the
person who is wearing the crown. Mikaila will work hard this year, to earn the
respect of the country. Some people respect the person wearing the crown, out of
complete respect for the crown and what it means to them, while others jealously
guard their respect and are very careful to give it, only to those who earn it.
Either way, we trust that by the end of the Miss Gay America 2009 pageant
season, your overwhelming respect will be given to Mikaila Kay-Miss Gay America
2008.
As we have said before, those who will forevermore be remembered as a “good
Miss Gay America” must have a deep respect for the crown before they ever
obtain it. Those who respect the money associated with the crown, will be
obvious and will likewise lack respect from the general public, before, during
and after their reign. So, in closing, we encourage each of you who want to one
day become Miss Gay
America
, to examine why you want to become Miss Gay America. Hopefully the reasons are
not totally selfish. One can make a huge mark on our gay history and community
(and ever so increasingly, the heterosexual community as well) just by exuding
the very respect for the crown and title, that appears to exist in the eyes of
the star gazing audience member and contestants. Respect is not given freely.
Respect is earned.
As we begin, yet another, exciting search for the next Miss Gay America, we
appreciate your support and anticipate that this years season will be just as
exciting as the last season. There is no such thing as an easy win and we
encourage contestants to prepare for the preliminaries, bringing your best
competition package, just as though you are competing at the national
competition. Winning is all about a consistent package that complies with the
regulations…but it all begins with a well thought preparation process.
Until
next time….
Larry and
Terry
From the Promoters
Perspective
An
article by Cocktail Entertainment (Rodney Brown and Mike Divoky)-Promoter of Miss Gay
Heart of America (nominee of
the Miss Gay America 2008 Pageant Season Regional Preliminary of the Year Award)
Hello
MGA Family & Friends,
 We are so exciting for this year’s pageant season to get started.
We can’t believe that the first preliminary to Miss Gay America 2009 is
just around the corner.
We have been working really hard preparing for our Miss Gay Heart of
America 2008 Regional Preliminary.
We were very honored and surprised at being one of the three nominees for
Best Regional Preliminary of the Year at Miss Gay America 2008, our very first
year as promoters.
We put a lot of hard work and love into making our pageant the best
experience for all those who were involved. L&T, Luscious, Pat Dugan, G and
K Productions, Steven Divoky, Bruce & Stosh (owners of The MAX in Omaha,
NE), Matt Finken (Show Director), Christopher Tucker (DJ), and our wonderfully
supportive Sponsors were all a big help in that success, and we can’t thank
them enough. Sasha Nicole (a.k.a. Patrick McGuire), Miss Gay Heart of America
2007, we could not have asked for a better Representative this past year at the
MGA Nationals.
You did us proud, and you will always be a ‘Symbol of Excellence’ in
our hearts.
You consistently go above and beyond what is expected of a titleholder,
helping out anyone who asks for your advice or for a favor.
For that, we thank you; you are our friend and very dear to us.
We have learned so much from you.
Victoria DePaula, we could not be more proud of you for your help in
making our first preliminary a true success and having you as our very first
Miss Gay Heart of
America
. We
are very blessed to have such a great family of formers to be working with.
Luscious, thanks for all your help and for nominating us for Regional
Preliminary of the year at MGA 2008.
The Miss Gay America pageant system has some of the best Promoters, and
we would love to thank each and every one of you that helped us out at MGA this
past year.
For
years now, we’ve been on the other side of promoting, with Mike having entered
a few pageants (as Shirley Knott) and judged many pageants, and Rodney having
qualified for 2 MGA national pageants as Anita Cocktail (the current reigning
Miss River City
America
). We
have experienced first hand all of the fears and worries that a contestant gets
when preparing for a preliminary.
We also know that a contestant puts a lot of thought into choosing which
preliminary to enter.
We truly feel that contestants need to not look at who might be entering
the pageant, but rather concentrate on their own package and what they have to
bring to the table.
Just because a big name contestant, or a former top-ten contestant, might
be entering a preliminary, doesn’t mean you should not enter. You know that
you will have to go up against that person and many others at the nationals, so
why not do it before the national MGA pageant and see just what they are
bringing; you never know what the outcome may be… The only way to be
successful is to arrive with confidence in yourself and your package and to
exude that confidence.
This
past year at Miss Gay America 2008, the contestants showed that the new girls
could come in under the radar and knock out previous Top Ten contenders.
You really need to bring your top game with you to all the preliminaries
you enter.
You should never assume that it could be an easy win or that the other
person, who may have been in the top ten before, is going to beat you.
You never know what a contestant might bring.
It really makes you a better competitor to always be on your best and be
ready to win no matter whom you’re going up against.
You should be confident in the package that you bring.
You should always bring what you think is a winning package.
Think of it as a learning experience as well.
Another factor in determining the right preliminary for you might be to look at
the Promoters.
MGA has some of the best Promoters in this art form.
Although all Promoters do not offer the same prize packages, they may
have many other things to offer you:
their time, preparation help, constructive advice, being there for you at
the nationals to help in any way needed, etc.
You need to realize what your dream truly is and what it will require to
get you there.
You should study the preliminaries very well and choose what’s right
for you.
Build from all of your experiences, learn from them, and enjoy them in
the moment!!
All of the times we’ve spent in dressing rooms at pageants, have provided us
with indelible bonding experiences with other contestants; we’ve not only made
new friends, but also learned many valuable things such as other ways of
applying make-up, new ways to hide things (LOL), etc.
Just remember, you only get out of the experience, what you put into it.
So always bring 100% with you.
You will get your critique from the judges after the pageant, use it
wisely and change what you need to with your package to make it better at the
nationals.
We are hoping that this year will be as much of a success as last year.
We feel that with Sasha Nicole’s, Miss Gay Heart of America 2007, help,
we will accomplish this and more.
We hope as many of you as possible can join us in
Omaha
,
Nebraska
, on Sunday, May 18, 2008, for Miss Gay Heart of America 2008, and Saturday, May
17, 2008, at The MAX, from 7 – 9 p.m.
for the ‘Miss Gay Heart of
America
Revue Show’.
Check out our web page on the MGA web site and our MySpace page for more
details.
Contestants, just remember, when choosing a preliminary to enter, bring a
winning
package, be confident in that package, and check out what the Promoter can offer
you to help achieve your ultimate goal.
Respectfully,
Mike Divoky & Rodney Brown
(Owners of Cocktail Entertainment/Promoters of Miss Gay Heart of
America
)
_______________________________________________________________
From the
Promoters Perspective
An
article by Roger Dimick-Promoter of Miss Gay Maryland America (nominee of
the Miss Gay America 2008 Pageant Season State Preliminary of the Year Award)
 In case you don’t know me, I am Roger Dimick from
Baltimore
Maryland
. I am the promoter of Miss Gay Maryland. I am also the general manager of the
Club Hippo,
Baltimore
’s largest gay nightclub. When Larry and Terry requested that I write an
article for the news letter I said yes right away. Shortly afterwards I thought
why me, and then I thought and looked back on my relationship with the art of
female impersonation and realized that I have seen 19 Miss Gay America’s
crowned. Starting with Vicki Vincent and then I was hooked. This will be my 20th
year and I can’t wait. Leslie Rage
and I were best friends, so I missed the year Ramona won because I was still
feeling the loss of Leslie. However,
Ramona and I also became good friends. When she passed away as well, what a loss
this was to the Miss Gay America system. But I can tell you that if they were
both alive today they would be helping Larry and Terry because they were from
the old school who believed that to wear the Miss Gay America crown meant
something. Not just while you were
Miss Gay America but also as a former. I know I will hear grief about this for
singling someone out and not others…. I
was in charge of male interview last year (at the Miss Gay America 2008 pageant)
and Nicole Dubois reminded me of the “old school” Miss Gay Americas.
She came down every day to give a pep talk to all the contestants before
they went in the interview room and I saw her all over the hotel going from room
to room helping them. Also, Catia
Lee Love was so helpful to all the contestants back stage as she went out of her
way to make sure things went right. And believe me I told her every day thank
you for helping my girls and I hope all the other promoters said thank you as
well. We all and I mean all, (i.e. promoters/formers/dancers and fans) have to
remember that it’s not about us, it’s about the contestants and we should be
there for them at all times. To make them feel like they are special because
it’s not easy being in there shoes, know matter how good you think they are.
They have earned the right to be on that stage and it’s all our jobs to make
them shine. Here at
Baltimore
we have the buddy system with the other promoters in our area. We all help each
other all year and when it comes time for Miss
America
we try to split cost, such as prop trucks, sharing dancers and fund raisers.
Without Miss East Coast,
Miss
DC
, Miss Keystone, Miss
Pennsylvania
and also Miss
Delaware
, I would be lost. So work together as a group and you will be amazed at how
much more you can accomplish! Good
luck to all the contestants this year...
Roger
Dimick
Miss Gay Maryland America Promoter
A Note From The Editor
The Excellence strives to be an informative newsletter delivered to the promoters,
contestants, audience and other supporters of the Miss Gay America Pageant System throughout the year. Should there be any issue or topic of discussion a promoter would like to see addressed (or to write an article to be published) in a future newsletter, please contact the editor via
Email.
Please note, any article, comments, or opinions faxed, mailed, (postal or electronics),
or otherwise sent to any of our "addresses" become our property and carry an implied consent of publication should we choose to do so. No articles will be published in which one or more of the following occurs:
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