A Blast from the Past
Thoughts from Forever Miss Gay America's
What I Know For Sure...
By: Miss Gay America 2001 Charity Case
What I know for sure: How much Miss Gay America means to me. Many years ago while still a college student in Kansas City, Missouri I went to my first gay bar and was having a great time when the music stopped, in the corner of the room a spotlight parted the sea of people and a magical show started. I could not believe what I was seeing and thought, “I want to do that one day, just once.” Two months later I entered a local pageant called “KC Discovery” and won. This was my first night out in drag! This is also where I got my name as I did “If They Could See Me Now”, but that is another story. I left the bar that night thinking, “That was fun” and was sure it would never happen again. Within a few months I had a spot in a show cast and was performing two shows, five nights a week. I had so much to learn as it was all new. During a rehearsal we got word that a Miss Gay America, Jennifer Fox, was to join us as our special guest for the weekend. “Miss Gay America,” I said, “What is that?” When I found out this farm boy who grew up in the middle of Missouri could be in a pageant I almost fell over with excitement. I entered my first prelim just happy to be there without any expectations and that was good thing, as I did not place. I did, however, win interview and preliminary night talent. I found out I needed to learn how to dress in both gown and sportswear. I learned fast and the next year I had my first crown, Miss Gay Midwest 1984. I did not worry about placement at MGA because I was going to be on that stage. That was all I cared about! The final night came and before Naomi Sims was crowned I was called out as the Lady Barbara winner – best non finishing finalist. You would have thought I had won! I may not have won that night but I knew I wanted to go back and be in the top 10 and nothing was going to stop me.
The next year I was back and in the top 10 on final night, I even placed 7th and watched as the beautiful Lauren Colby was crowned. I had moved up and as I was dancing the night away (I was so much younger then) I started thinking, “Could I win someday? Could a plus size country boy win Miss Gay America?” I would have to wait many years before I would find out but the answer was yes!
I came back year after year winning many MGA titles along the way and had great success most years even breaking into the top five and winning categories. If you will indulge me, I would like to give a shout out to the prelims I had the honor of winning, Miss Midwest, Miss Gay Missouri, Miss Illinois, Miss Heart of America, Miss Southwest, Miss Texas, Miss Southern Elegance and Miss Central States. I loved the promoters just as I love the promoters of today. I competed at MGA 11 times and it became my way to get booked for the upcoming year, meet new performers, see returning contestants and stay close with my MGA sisters. I have been lucky enough to work with all of the Forever MGA’s over the years.
During my year as MGA I loved every day and every night. Putting the crown on was always a joy and a pleasure. I don’t have any bad memories and would do it all again. I can’t believe it has been 15 years. I adored working for Norma Kristie INC. and have a respect for Norman that I have for very few people. He never told me anything that was not true and he treated me like I was special. I also loved working with Ken Brown in the corporate office. Many things have changed over the years but something that has never changed is the love Jerry Peek and Norman Jones have for the system and they passed that love on to Larry Tyger and Terry Eason. Both of these gentlemen have never treated me with anything but respect and kindness. They make all of us feel a part of the family whether we won during the Norman years or after they took over and for that I am grateful.
Many of you might wonder why I am sharing all this and for those who do not know, I am going to retire at the end of 2015. I know that is hard to believe with me being in my prime, but all good things must come to an end. This was not an easy decision but I want to travel with the love of my life, Jimmy Bogle, and in April of 2016 we will be married. I also have a great career in the mortgage industry and it is difficult to have a full time career and perform. I never want to hear, “Wow, she was so good back in the day!” I also want to get back on the stage as Mark and once again sing. Yes, I was a music major in college and even sang in the Kansas City Lyric Opera four seasons. So I will not be gone just using a different outlet for my talents. Even as I am writing this I am thinking, “No, I am too young to stop now”, but it is time.
I will never forget how I felt when my name was called out and Catia Lee Love put the crown on my head. I will never forget all the love and support that came from my MGA sisters and the people from every corner of the country. I will never forget what being Miss Gay America means to me and I hope you will never forget me. When you win Miss Gay America, many are happy, some are not but it is your job to prove you deserved to win and I hope that was what I did. What I know for sure is I loved every minute of being a contestant, every minute of being Miss Gay America and every minute of being a former Miss Gay America. What I know for sure is I hope I never forget how much love I have for all of the Miss Gay America supporters. Thank you Larry and Terry for giving me this time to express my feelings. I look forward to bring all of my feeling to the stage this year for my, oops, I mean Blair’s give up.
All my love,
Charity Case Miss Gay America 2001
The next year I was back and in the top 10 on final night, I even placed 7th and watched as the beautiful Lauren Colby was crowned. I had moved up and as I was dancing the night away (I was so much younger then) I started thinking, “Could I win someday? Could a plus size country boy win Miss Gay America?” I would have to wait many years before I would find out but the answer was yes!
I came back year after year winning many MGA titles along the way and had great success most years even breaking into the top five and winning categories. If you will indulge me, I would like to give a shout out to the prelims I had the honor of winning, Miss Midwest, Miss Gay Missouri, Miss Illinois, Miss Heart of America, Miss Southwest, Miss Texas, Miss Southern Elegance and Miss Central States. I loved the promoters just as I love the promoters of today. I competed at MGA 11 times and it became my way to get booked for the upcoming year, meet new performers, see returning contestants and stay close with my MGA sisters. I have been lucky enough to work with all of the Forever MGA’s over the years.
During my year as MGA I loved every day and every night. Putting the crown on was always a joy and a pleasure. I don’t have any bad memories and would do it all again. I can’t believe it has been 15 years. I adored working for Norma Kristie INC. and have a respect for Norman that I have for very few people. He never told me anything that was not true and he treated me like I was special. I also loved working with Ken Brown in the corporate office. Many things have changed over the years but something that has never changed is the love Jerry Peek and Norman Jones have for the system and they passed that love on to Larry Tyger and Terry Eason. Both of these gentlemen have never treated me with anything but respect and kindness. They make all of us feel a part of the family whether we won during the Norman years or after they took over and for that I am grateful.
Many of you might wonder why I am sharing all this and for those who do not know, I am going to retire at the end of 2015. I know that is hard to believe with me being in my prime, but all good things must come to an end. This was not an easy decision but I want to travel with the love of my life, Jimmy Bogle, and in April of 2016 we will be married. I also have a great career in the mortgage industry and it is difficult to have a full time career and perform. I never want to hear, “Wow, she was so good back in the day!” I also want to get back on the stage as Mark and once again sing. Yes, I was a music major in college and even sang in the Kansas City Lyric Opera four seasons. So I will not be gone just using a different outlet for my talents. Even as I am writing this I am thinking, “No, I am too young to stop now”, but it is time.
I will never forget how I felt when my name was called out and Catia Lee Love put the crown on my head. I will never forget all the love and support that came from my MGA sisters and the people from every corner of the country. I will never forget what being Miss Gay America means to me and I hope you will never forget me. When you win Miss Gay America, many are happy, some are not but it is your job to prove you deserved to win and I hope that was what I did. What I know for sure is I loved every minute of being a contestant, every minute of being Miss Gay America and every minute of being a former Miss Gay America. What I know for sure is I hope I never forget how much love I have for all of the Miss Gay America supporters. Thank you Larry and Terry for giving me this time to express my feelings. I look forward to bring all of my feeling to the stage this year for my, oops, I mean Blair’s give up.
All my love,
Charity Case Miss Gay America 2001
A Time to Sparkle
By: Forever Miss Gay America Sally Sparkles
OH JULY! It's always the month where Miss Gay America starts to REALLY understand what all her sisters meant when they said ,”get sleep while you can.” I have had the pleasure of seeing our amazing Blair Williams at 3 pageants this year, so far. At every pageant I love watching her speak on the microphone. First off because she is so eloquent and well spoken, and secondly because that crown on her head sparkles GREAT on stage and I like to remind myself that I have one at home.
While July is a big pageant month it is also a hot month temperature wise! Let me tell you, I am out of shape and I sweat! It's getting annoying so I am hoping that I will soon get myself in gear and start doing something more active. Teaching dance while sitting in a chair is no longer cutting it. Speaking of being active, this year of America pageantry has been wonderful for me. The pinnacle so far was being head judge for Miss Gay Texas. I kept remembering myself my first year at Miss Gay Texas and looking at that judges' table and being so scared of them. Now, there I was sitting at that same table judging 29 contestants for Miss Gay Texas. It was a great week of pageantry in general and I got to bond with Miss Blair quite a bit. Her and I have very similar ways of thinking, which is quite surprising because of the height difference. LOL!
I have so enjoyed being a part of the Miss Gay America pageant system. I have found contentment in the role as a Forever MGA, now that I am more aware of what that all entails. One of the perks as a Forever is that it can lead to other things to help further yourself and the America system. It is with great excitement that I get to tell all of you that L&T Entertainment have offered me the position of Office Assistant Administrator at the national pageant for this year. I was quite honored that L&T thought of me, and while it means I may not be performing as much that week of nationals, I will be getting to really know the in's and out's of the Miss Gay America pageant. So once again my experience at Miss Gay America will be under a different hat. In the past 4 years I have been a contestant, the reigning, a former, and now as Office Assistant Administrator. Who knows what I will be doing the next year. I could possibly be booted to sweeping the parking lot, depending on how well I do this year!
This year is turning out to be a great one, and just as I had always hoped and thought, I will constantly strive in any way possible to help better MGA and to help it further grow in whatever capacity I can. Remember everyone, with each pageant season comes new opportunities, and with new opportunities come new occasions to learn more about yourself, and to grow. One of my favorite lines pertaining to pageantry is,”Pageants are all about self betterment.” and I am happy to see that that line pertains to all of those in pageantry, not just the contestants competing. And on that note I hope everyone has a “Sparkly” kinda day and I look forward to seeing all of y'all in Memphis in October!
Sincerely,
Sally Sparkles
Miss Gay America 2013
While July is a big pageant month it is also a hot month temperature wise! Let me tell you, I am out of shape and I sweat! It's getting annoying so I am hoping that I will soon get myself in gear and start doing something more active. Teaching dance while sitting in a chair is no longer cutting it. Speaking of being active, this year of America pageantry has been wonderful for me. The pinnacle so far was being head judge for Miss Gay Texas. I kept remembering myself my first year at Miss Gay Texas and looking at that judges' table and being so scared of them. Now, there I was sitting at that same table judging 29 contestants for Miss Gay Texas. It was a great week of pageantry in general and I got to bond with Miss Blair quite a bit. Her and I have very similar ways of thinking, which is quite surprising because of the height difference. LOL!
I have so enjoyed being a part of the Miss Gay America pageant system. I have found contentment in the role as a Forever MGA, now that I am more aware of what that all entails. One of the perks as a Forever is that it can lead to other things to help further yourself and the America system. It is with great excitement that I get to tell all of you that L&T Entertainment have offered me the position of Office Assistant Administrator at the national pageant for this year. I was quite honored that L&T thought of me, and while it means I may not be performing as much that week of nationals, I will be getting to really know the in's and out's of the Miss Gay America pageant. So once again my experience at Miss Gay America will be under a different hat. In the past 4 years I have been a contestant, the reigning, a former, and now as Office Assistant Administrator. Who knows what I will be doing the next year. I could possibly be booted to sweeping the parking lot, depending on how well I do this year!
This year is turning out to be a great one, and just as I had always hoped and thought, I will constantly strive in any way possible to help better MGA and to help it further grow in whatever capacity I can. Remember everyone, with each pageant season comes new opportunities, and with new opportunities come new occasions to learn more about yourself, and to grow. One of my favorite lines pertaining to pageantry is,”Pageants are all about self betterment.” and I am happy to see that that line pertains to all of those in pageantry, not just the contestants competing. And on that note I hope everyone has a “Sparkly” kinda day and I look forward to seeing all of y'all in Memphis in October!
Sincerely,
Sally Sparkles
Miss Gay America 2013
Time to Sparkle
By: Forever Miss Gay America Sally Sparkles
For 5 years of my life I walked around trying to improve myself. I did this so that when I was finally crowned I wouldn't have to curb my behavior or adjust my actions to having the nations' critical eyes upon me. So finally, after those 5 years I spent an amazing year BEING what I had prepared to be and enjoying every minute of it.
Then came the following year. I had to ask myself ,”What do I do now ?” I knew how to be a Miss Gay America, but how was I supposed to be afterwards. I didn't have an inkling as to how to be someone who just passed on that coveted title that they loved so much. I asked this question of myself many times over the year following my reign. What does Cinderella do after she marries the Prince. What does one do after they have achieved a goal or lived their dream?
My year as Miss Gay America was so great and amazing that I had no idea how anything could top that. My worst fear was that people would forget about me, and how I was as a Miss Gay America. Just like everyone says, the e-mails, the phone calls, the cards and letters stopped and I did feel a little bit forgotten. I started to find out who “Michael Sharp” was once again and in doing so I forgot something. The catch phrase I used for my year was,”Always wear your invisible crown.” Oddly enough I had never thought about keeping it on my head after I had passed on the title.
When gearing up to compete to become Miss Gay America I had pondered many hours over things I wanted to accomplish, my thoughts on everything about the system, what I planned to do while I was reigning, but those thoughts never went farther than my give up. So contestants, future titleholders and contenders for the crown, please take a minute or more to think about the aftermath. How is it going to feel when you take that crown off for the last time? What are some of the benefits you get to enjoy being a Forever and how will you handle yourself in those situations? What are you going to do now? This is something I really wish I had spent more time thinking of before the actual time came that I was standing there putting my crown, tiara, and scepter in the glass display case in my living room in which it now resides.
I always thought that I was prepared to step down from the title of Miss Gay America but the shock of it all really made me quite sad. Forever the optimist, I tried to look back on the good things that happened, and relish in the moments that I got to enjoy. I didn't want to jump in and become overly eager and super active right after because I didn't want to look like that “ Former who couldn't give it up”. I wanted Jessica Jade to have a great year without me pushing my way in everywhere. So 2014 was a quiet year for me. It was an adjustment year to let me come into 2015 happy, energetic, and ready to attack with my new found title of Forever Miss Gay America 2013.
There was just one problem. Over that year of adjustment I had gotten really comfortable, and once I had felt a little bit forgotten by some I thought people didn't notice me as they once had. So to my detriment I realized that my standard of how a titleholder who is reigning or not should act, was overshadowed with everyday, Michael Sharp.
With this title comes a lot of respect and admiration from people for having achieved such an accomplishment. In the same breath, this title comes with many responsibilities and expectations to uphold as if you were the reigning symbol of excellence every year after you have won as well. When you become a Forever MGA there is still a standard that you must hold yourself to. I remember being so excited because my name would always be followed with Miss Gay America 2013, from here on out. With that same glory comes some responsibility that I never really factored. You're still expected to act, know, and support the America System as if you were reigning. I am one who has many comments, and many times I make so many that people tend to stop listening. As Miss Gay America, I still voiced those opinions, because becoming Miss Gay America doesn't mean that you stop being you, but I did often curb them to a more politically correct manner so as to not offend parties within ear reach. As Michael, I blurt out what I think, and in becoming a Forever I didn't realize that people are still watching, listening, and paying attention to you, even if you are unaware.
This is an ongoing process for me. I am redefining my place, trying to better myself as a person, and entertainer, and Forever MGA. Wanting and trying to step closer and closer to being the best person I can be. In doing so there are obstacles and mountains to climb, because if everything were easy you wouldn't appreciate the things you have gotten or earned. In my journey I stopped realizing that that invisible crown phrase that I used throughout my reign was still relevant to me today. While my “invisible crown“ has gotten jossled around and maybe been knocked off a time or two, I did what any true America girl would have done... I brushed it off, placed it back on my head, and am starting to walk a little taller than I have the past year or so.
While traveling to Monroe, Louisiana for the Miss Gay Southern Elegance America pageant, Charity Case said,” Well you know what Cinderella did after she married the Prince right? She lived Happily Ever After!” And that is exactly what I'm going to try to do!
Sally Sparkles
Miss Gay America 2013
Then came the following year. I had to ask myself ,”What do I do now ?” I knew how to be a Miss Gay America, but how was I supposed to be afterwards. I didn't have an inkling as to how to be someone who just passed on that coveted title that they loved so much. I asked this question of myself many times over the year following my reign. What does Cinderella do after she marries the Prince. What does one do after they have achieved a goal or lived their dream?
My year as Miss Gay America was so great and amazing that I had no idea how anything could top that. My worst fear was that people would forget about me, and how I was as a Miss Gay America. Just like everyone says, the e-mails, the phone calls, the cards and letters stopped and I did feel a little bit forgotten. I started to find out who “Michael Sharp” was once again and in doing so I forgot something. The catch phrase I used for my year was,”Always wear your invisible crown.” Oddly enough I had never thought about keeping it on my head after I had passed on the title.
When gearing up to compete to become Miss Gay America I had pondered many hours over things I wanted to accomplish, my thoughts on everything about the system, what I planned to do while I was reigning, but those thoughts never went farther than my give up. So contestants, future titleholders and contenders for the crown, please take a minute or more to think about the aftermath. How is it going to feel when you take that crown off for the last time? What are some of the benefits you get to enjoy being a Forever and how will you handle yourself in those situations? What are you going to do now? This is something I really wish I had spent more time thinking of before the actual time came that I was standing there putting my crown, tiara, and scepter in the glass display case in my living room in which it now resides.
I always thought that I was prepared to step down from the title of Miss Gay America but the shock of it all really made me quite sad. Forever the optimist, I tried to look back on the good things that happened, and relish in the moments that I got to enjoy. I didn't want to jump in and become overly eager and super active right after because I didn't want to look like that “ Former who couldn't give it up”. I wanted Jessica Jade to have a great year without me pushing my way in everywhere. So 2014 was a quiet year for me. It was an adjustment year to let me come into 2015 happy, energetic, and ready to attack with my new found title of Forever Miss Gay America 2013.
There was just one problem. Over that year of adjustment I had gotten really comfortable, and once I had felt a little bit forgotten by some I thought people didn't notice me as they once had. So to my detriment I realized that my standard of how a titleholder who is reigning or not should act, was overshadowed with everyday, Michael Sharp.
With this title comes a lot of respect and admiration from people for having achieved such an accomplishment. In the same breath, this title comes with many responsibilities and expectations to uphold as if you were the reigning symbol of excellence every year after you have won as well. When you become a Forever MGA there is still a standard that you must hold yourself to. I remember being so excited because my name would always be followed with Miss Gay America 2013, from here on out. With that same glory comes some responsibility that I never really factored. You're still expected to act, know, and support the America System as if you were reigning. I am one who has many comments, and many times I make so many that people tend to stop listening. As Miss Gay America, I still voiced those opinions, because becoming Miss Gay America doesn't mean that you stop being you, but I did often curb them to a more politically correct manner so as to not offend parties within ear reach. As Michael, I blurt out what I think, and in becoming a Forever I didn't realize that people are still watching, listening, and paying attention to you, even if you are unaware.
This is an ongoing process for me. I am redefining my place, trying to better myself as a person, and entertainer, and Forever MGA. Wanting and trying to step closer and closer to being the best person I can be. In doing so there are obstacles and mountains to climb, because if everything were easy you wouldn't appreciate the things you have gotten or earned. In my journey I stopped realizing that that invisible crown phrase that I used throughout my reign was still relevant to me today. While my “invisible crown“ has gotten jossled around and maybe been knocked off a time or two, I did what any true America girl would have done... I brushed it off, placed it back on my head, and am starting to walk a little taller than I have the past year or so.
While traveling to Monroe, Louisiana for the Miss Gay Southern Elegance America pageant, Charity Case said,” Well you know what Cinderella did after she married the Prince right? She lived Happily Ever After!” And that is exactly what I'm going to try to do!
Sally Sparkles
Miss Gay America 2013
