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March 2009 Edition Of
"The Excellence"
Victoria's Voice
The
last weekend in January was a trip to remember! I was back in
Memphis
with the boys! Also in attendance were Sasha Nichol and Jade Sinclair. We were
there for the sixth annual Mystic Krewe of Pegasus
Memphis
Mardi Gras Ball- it was amazing. It had to be one of the most beautiful events
I have ever been to! The lighting, table decorations and the costumes were
breath taking and the
Memphis
hospitality is unforgettable! It was wonderful to enjoy the company of Bill
Zachary, Steve Divore, the Pegasus Krewe and Chris Bryant. It was an honor to
get to perform/emcee such a wonderful event.
The
weekend was very enjoyable as I finished up my training to be MGA. It was a
great review on what I have studied for the past eight years. I am anxiously
waiting to put my administrative skills to work. On March 13 (Mid-America) my
official journey begins.
That
weekend I also got to watch the videos that I still needed to view. I finally
got to see MGA 1998 Maya Montana crowned and it was great! We also watched Miss
Gay Heart of
America
videos from 1983 and 1985 with promoters Mike and Rodney.
My, how female impersonation has changed!
As always, it was more than enjoyable to spend a long weekend with my new
family L&T.
My
next stop was back to St.Louis for Miss Gay Metropolitan, a prelim for Miss Gay
Missouri. Daniel (Vanessa Vincent), Zane and Duane put on a top-notch event
-professional from start to finish. I was so impressed that I told them they
needed to promote for MGA also! The day started with a meet and greet party
given by the promoters, they put so many “extras” into their pageants it’s
nice to see all the energy and enthusiasm. The food made by Daniel’s husband
Drew was terrific-it was great to meet him as we have something in common. We
are both Italian so we had a lot to talk about! It was a special night because I
got to spend time with my former sisters of
Missouri
including Jeff (Atheena Voch’e), Douglas (Ineda Cocktail), Joie (Tumara
Mahorning), Patrick (Sasha Nicole) and my newest sister Ricky (Sparkle Iman).
The night got even better with six contestants competing for the title.
The judges (Deann Dimercurio, JD, Douglas and Paula Croffard) had their job cut out for them. It
was a fabulous pageant and what an honor to receive The Excellence award with
beautiful flowers. Thank you so much for everything, I had a great time.
The
next weekend marked my national holiday (lol) V.D. (Valentine’s Day) and I had
the pleasure to be back in
Quincy
,
Illinois
with sista Jade Sinclair, Channing LaRue and Melissa Marnier. The four of us had
a great time spending the infamous “day of love” together. It’s always a
plus to see so many people enjoy the art of female impersonation. Thank you
Ireane and Quincy for having me back I truly enjoy my time with you!
Okay,
so it’s now time to celebrate Mardi Gras! What better place to celebrate it
than
St. Joseph
Missouri
. I’m telling you the people of St. Joe really know how to throw a party.
The show was so much fun and the people watching were even more fun.
Dustin and Mike- thank you for giving us such an awesome place to perform.
My
next stop is to
Tampa
,
Florida
. I have some really exciting news to share with you! The Miss Gay America
Pageant system and I have been selected to be the spokesperson for GEOVAX
Laboratories. GEOVAX is a company
that is now in human trials for a HIV vaccine. This is HUGE! This weekend is the
kick off show promoting the efforts of finding a cure! GEOVAX will also be my
platform as Miss Gay America and I am honored to promote their awareness to all
of you. For more information on GEOVAX please visit their Website at www.geovax.com.
It’s
hard to believe that pageant time is here. I am so excited as I continue along
my journey as Miss Gay America. My experience so far has been unbelievable and I
thank you all for your continued support!
Until
next time,
Victoria
DePaula
Miss Gay America 2009
 From the desk of Larry & Terry
Who is ready to become the 38th annual Miss Gay America?
While college basketball is on the mind of many, we can certainly attest that
the competition of female impersonators is on the mind of just as many… Now
that the new year is in full swing, there is a buzz across the country about
which contestant will enter which preliminary pageant, as the country is now
poised to watch the Miss Gay America pageant season evolve into another
extraordinary year of competition. There are several promoters who have yet to
select their dates, but we know of several contestants who are watching and
waiting for the announcements of various preliminary dates so that they can make
their decision of what could possibly be their ticket to the national
competition. When we are asked about dates of certain preliminary pageants, we
tell the contestants that they should proceed with their preparations in as many
of the categories as possible, then, when they know the date for the preliminary
of their choice, then they can fine-tune their competition package. Some
contestants are investigating, as to which contestant will compete at a certain
preliminary, as most contestants want an “easy win”…. Based on what we
have seen over the most recent five years, there is no such thing as an “easy
win”… We strongly advise that contestants should view the preliminary of
their choice, just as they do the national competition of Miss Gay America,
which is to bring their best. Many Miss Gay America’s can tell you that along
their journey to become the “best of the best”, they experienced an
unexpected defeat… It seems as though the new comers are more prepared than
ever to compete… One of the first things that the panel of judges should be
told is that they should judge according to what is in front of them…no matter
how many times a certain contestants has qualified for the national competition
or scored very well at the nationals. Once the crown is placed on the head of
the next Miss Gay America, the slate is wiped clean and everyone is then given
the same chance to be the next Miss Gay America. What the contestant does with
the “new chance” is up to them. We tell the contestants each year, that the
contestants have the same chance, on the first day of the national competition,
to become the next Symbol of Excellence, then the chances begin to increase or
decrease, when you walk into the Male Interview room or step onto the stage…
This competition is very exciting to watch, as every year, there is most always
an unexpected surprise as to who actually makes Top 10 or in some cases, who
does not make the Top 10. So, we encourage each of you to be your best and
LISTEN. Swallow your pride and look beyond your ego enough to see what works and
what does not work… If the contestants can simply stop passing the blame on
others, as to why they did not score as well as they had hoped for, and point
the finger to themselves as to why they did not win, they can finally see the
growth within and use that growth to propel them into the capture of their
dreams. Too many times, we hear that a contest is “rigged”… (and we have
heard this with EVERY system)… and while we cannot speak for the other
systems, we can certainly attest that this pageant system is structured in a way
that it is nearly impossible to fix scores (as there should ALWAYS be a source
of verification). We place a tremendous amount of trust and responsibility on
the reigning Miss Gay America to uphold the integrity, that we (L & T
Entertainment and the Miss Gay America pageant system) is known for and if the
reigning Miss Gay America does anything to compromise that integrity that we and
the former Miss Gay America’s have worked hard to build, then we will deal
harshly with the issue to see immediate resolve. Fairness is what this contest
is about… There are many contestants that have never won the national title
that we know would have been exceptional Miss Gay America’s. There are a FEW
former Miss Gay America’s that have won the national title, then, they allowed
certain obstacles to get in their way of either maximizing their potential to be
an incredible Miss Gay America or to allow (after their reign) the obstacles to
prevent them from enjoying a great career as a former. Managing the national
competition would be much easier for us, if we could “hand pick” the winner
but we have to spend countless hours and dollars to ensure a credible and fair
panel of judges who are prepared to basically choose the fate of our company for
the next year. While our favorites do not always win, we can assure all
contestants that we will work hard to prepare them for their reign as Miss Gay
America. We will be sure that they have most of the tools they need to be an
effective Miss Gay America that likewise, will leave a very positive mark on
their reign. But that is all we can do, is to administratively prepare them, and
offer our critique as to appearance and actions. The other is up to them in
their choice of wardrobe, make-up, hairstyles, performance selection and
behavior… Our critiques are used to mold the new Miss Gay America into what
the country expects, which is EXCELLENCE. Anything less, will be substandard to
the country, which gives all of the “wanna-be’s” something to chat
about… So before any contestant enters a preliminary, you should make certain
that you are prepared to receive what you want... Being Miss Gay America is not
easy and is very demanding and can be stressful at times. But, with a good
attitude, being open to receive constructive criticism, having “thick skin”
and having good intent to make a positive difference on this incredible legacy,
the year as Miss Gay America can be the best year of your life…. So beginning
with Miss Mid America in
Memphis
,
Tennessee
on March 13, 2009, we ask….. “Who is ready to be the 38th annual
Miss Gay America?”
Until
Next Time!
Larry and
Terry
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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