This year’s Miss Gaymecock drag pageant was a big step toward broadening the scope and updating the mission of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Alliance, said David Filipczak, the organization’s president.
That’s because this year’s pageant, held last Thursday at PT’s Cabaret in Five Points, was charged with the task of opening up the event — and the organization that sponsors it — to people outside of the gay community.
“One of the things that’s always irked me about BGLSA is that everybody knows it for Miss Gaymecock and The Birdcage, and they don’t really understand that we do a lot more than that,” Filipczak said before the pageant. “My goal for BGLSA is really to have our own coming out, so to speak, so that we get more involved on campus in things that don’t have to do with gay or lesbian or bisexual – that we get involved with being a social group on campus that has to do with other groups in well.”
To that end, the organization searched for competitors from other organizations and found a willing participant in Alex Perez, a member and former president of Students Associated for Latin America.
Perez explained that SALA and BGLSA are both part of a department known as the Office Multicultural Student Affairs.
“I was helping out an organization within the OMSA umbrella, so I had no problem doing it,” the fifth-year statistics and business student said. “I’m totally straight, and totally Hispanic and have no problem stepping out of my bubble to experience something else.”
The pageant’s other three competitors, second-year English student John Gulledge, second-year nursing student Zach Hill and first-year music performance student Alex Fricker, are all members of BGLSA. Gulledge is the organization’s public relations director.
Last year’s pageant was the first to feature a participant from outside the organization. RaSha’d Gaines, a former president of USC’s Association of African American Students, competed in and won the pageant in 2008. Gaines said winning the title means much more than wearing a dress and a crown.
“Sometimes in leadership you have to be for people what they can’t be for themselves,” Gaines said. “I just happened to be in a position to where I could be vocal and speak up for not only black students but gay students and other minorities on campus.”
But to earn that responsibility, the competitors first had to wow the judges, who included Cyrus Frakes and Shane Arrington, stars of the TLC reality show “King of the Crown.” Bobby Craft, a local actor; Kenny Murphy, who performs in drag as Kiki DeVille; and Laura Schneider, last year’s BGLSA president, also served as judges.
Local drag performers Carla Cox and Vivian Lynn De’Maples co-hosted the event, and Lady La Poodle performed during the show.
The competitors were judged on their presentation, talent, eveningwear and a question-and -answer round. The audience was allowed — and encouraged — to tip the competitors, and the money each one raised was incorporated into the scoring.
Traditional drag vogue dictates that drag queens lip-sync a popular song by a female vocalist, and the first three competitors didn’t disappoint. Fricker, performing as Veronica Keys, performed Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” Perez, as Alejandra Rosa-Escandalosa, performed a song by Ivy Queen. Hill lip-synced Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
Only Gulledge, who’s stage name is Aubrey Allure, broke the mold. With the help of the pageant’s co-host Vivian Lynn De’Maples, Gulledge lip-synced a scene from the movie “Gypsy.”
In the end, Gulledge, who had never performed in drag before the pageant, won the competition. He said he realizes how much his weight his crown will carry.
“It’s important for me, with this title now, to get involved with different organizations,” Gulledge said. “One of the things I want to do is talk about how experiences like this can make you grow."
Miss Gaymecock pageant reaches outside organization
BGLSA encourages participation from other student organizations on campus
Published: Sunday, November 1, 2009
Updated: Sunday, November 1, 2009
 "Photo: Justin Fenner / THE DAILY GAMECOCK")
Justin Fenner / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Last year's Miss Gaymecock winner RaSha'd Gaines helps 2009 winner John Gulledge with his crown.
Why is it that you interpret the Bible literally when it comes to homosexuals, but loosely when it comes to stoning women and children, or killing those who would debate you on Christianity? Though you may say the Bible is as applicable now as it was then, I guarantee you I can find multiple passages that you don't follow (at least not literally).
Why is it that you accuse them of flaunting their homosexuality in your face, when it's your side who has been denying them equal rights, thus forcing them to do public events like this?The argument that homosexuality is a choice is an old and obsolete one. Most educated people believe that it's determined at birth. There have been multiple studies that showed this, and even research claiming that the gay gene has been found.
Just so that you know incase one of your poor poor children does turn out to be gay, telling them that it's unnatural and wrong will only hurt them and could lead to bad things. I've read stories about kids that committed suicide because their parents couldn't except that they were gay. Fortunately my parents actually love me unconditionally which I guess is more then can be said for your future kids.
Oh and its called adoption, thats how 2 men can have kids, and studies have shown that same sex households can be better more supportive loving places. But I supposed that you would rather a child grow up without the love and support of parents then with a gay couple.
Since you seem so firm and open about your beliefs why don't you be a man put a name to the beliefs rather then just spouting unexceptance and intolerance.
Now I never said one thing about hatred, you don't seem to me like you hate us, just dislike us and think that we are wrong and unnatural and detestable. Its obvious that neither one of us is going to change how the other thinks, you're going to continue to think that I'm wrong and I'm going to continue to think that you're wrong. I just can't see what's unnatural about my wanting to find a man that I love and that loves me back, and I'm talking about real true love the kind that they write poems about, and hoping to settle down and have a family with him. To me there is absolutely nothing wrong there. But I hope for their sake that none of your kids end up gay.
This article was really good though. Why is it not being printed in the actual newspaper?
Now that we've established that you do believe in god (and I have no problem with that I believe in god, a loving and accepting god) now please explain why he would make us gay if it is unnatural? I just want to say one more thing about religion and the bible, if everything in the bible is still acceptable and applicable are you going to sell your children into slavery? Are you going to give up shrimp? Should adulterers be stoned? And what about incest, if you believe in Adam and Eve we are all the result of incest?
I want to ask you one more question, please explain why it is so unnatural to love another human being of the same sex?
And by the way your not doing a great job of defending your position either, you just seem to keep saying the same stuff.