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“From
A to Zia” - February
My perspective on my year as Miss Gay Arkansas America
Well, here we are again and in full swing of the New
Year. I hope this
month’s newsletter finds everyone in rejuvenated spirits and sticking
to those New Year’s resolutions! I didn’t really make any resolutions
this year except to try and be true to myself and to represent Miss Gay
Arkansas America to the best of my abilities.
So, with that being said…let’s get to it, shall we?
January started off with a bang as I traveled to New
Orleans, LA to
ring in the New Year with friends. This was our stop before we departed
on our week long cruise to Key West and the Bahamas. What a great
week it was! New Orleans is one of my favorite cities to visit. We arrived
in New Orleans on Thursday afternoon and checked it to our hotel and
prepared ourselves for a great weekend ahead. We took in the sights
and sounds of the city and one evening in town, I ran into an old friend
who used to live in Little Rock. James and I had an opportunity to just
hang out and he even took me a couple places where the “locals”
hang
out. We had a great time and reminisced about his days in Little Rock
and mutual friends we knew. Needless to say, it was a very late night…
or perhaps that should read “early morning”. On our final night
in New
Orleans my friends and I gathered on Bourbon Street along with thousands of
others to ring in the New
Year! What a sight! The streets filled with local residents and visiting vacationers
as we all stood side by side,
looking towards the sky in awe of the fireworks display presented by the city
of New Orleans. It was a perfect
end to a great evening. The weekend was not over and as we got up the next
morning and packed our things,
it was on to the docks to board for our weeklong cruise. The cruise was a
special vacation to mark a couple of
friend’s 40th birthdays. Sam and Shane were going to celebrate in style
and what better way than to go on a
cruise with several of your closest friends.
This was my first time on a cruise and I was both excited
and nervous. I just didn’t know what to expect and
didn’t know if I’d be sick the entire time. You hear all the great
stories of cruising, but you also hear some of the
horror stories too. Again, I was just unsure of what the “unknown”
would be in store for me. Luckily, the Sea
Gods had mercy on me and we only had a bit of rough weather on the second
night. While I can laugh about it
now, I was a little nauseous that night. The weather was bad and the waters
were rough. And because of those
factors we were unable to get to port in Key West. As the captain said, “the
safety of our passengers comes first”.
While we were disappointed at not being able to get to Key West, we all made
the most of it. There was so much
food and drink one could literally eat 24 hours a day! There was the simple
burger and fries to the gourmet. It’s a
good thing I wasn’t preparing for a pageant, because there was no way
I could fit into my evening gown by the end
of the week. Freeport and Nassau Bahamas were our next ports of call and by
this point the entire ship was ready
to get off that ship. Nassau Bahamas was amazing! We did a tour of the island,
shopped and ate. We found the
beach and dipped a toe or two into the beautiful blue waters. After our day
in Nassau I jokingly made the statement
that if I could find a way to sell pencils on the beach of the Bahamas and
make a living, I would! I would definitely
find a way to live on the beach and enjoy life! We can certainly dream, can’t
we? I think we all had a great day and
we continued into the evening with more drinks and more food. There were nine
of us traveling together so we had
plenty of time to get into trouble and by the end of the week our small group
had turned into a herd! We all met some
great people on this trip and while it was a celebration of friends and birthdays,
we would all agree that we made
memories to last a lifetime.
After at week at sea, I was ready to get home and sleep
in my own bed. There’s nothing like sleeping in your own
bed. So after getting settled at home for a few days, I prepared myself for
a weekend in NW Arkansas and the awaited
“tour”. My sister, Kamrin Mikaels and I had talked about this
trip for some time and we were ready to go. We loaded up
the car and off we went, along with Kamrin’s other half, Trey. As we
got to Fayetteville, we met up with our friend
Steven who joined us for most of the weekend. And what a weekend it was! My
first stop on the “tour” was Club Push.
When I arrived I was greeted by Adam Moore, owner of Club Push and Joseph
Porter who made me feel very special
from the moment I walked in until the moment I walked out. I felt like amini
celebrity as it seemed everyone wanted to
take pictures and get a signed promotional picture from me.
I’ll have to say, it was one of the most memorable moments
of my reign. I had an amazing time during the show and enjoyed
working with Diamond Dior, Tyler Raine and Dakota
Cummings. While I will say that I missed seeing my sister, Taylor Madison
Monroe, Miss Gay United States. We were
scheduled to be in the show together, but she had duties to take care of in
California and she was making memories, so
can’t begrudge her too much. I will see you soon sister! I’ve
got to say that this first night would not have been a success
had it not been for my “boys”, Shane, Trey and Steven, who made
sure I was well taken care of from the word “GO”.
They handled everything for me so that I would not have to worry or think
about anything. The next morning we got up,
checked out of the hotel and decided to grab some lunch before hitting the
road.
Next stop was Kinkaed’s in Fort Smith. It’s
been a while since I performed in NW Arkansas, so I was excited
about
coming back to Kinkaed’s and have some fun. After settling into the
hotel and taking a quick siesta, we went to dinner
with my Miss Gay Arkansas sister, Shawn Tyler Andrews and her husband. It
was great to see Shawn and catch up.
We had a great talk about how my reign was going and what he’s been
up to. It was just nice to enjoy his company
and that of his partner, Trent. Then it was time for business. We arrived
at the club and I was welcomed by Kinkaed’s
owner John Woughter/ Jessica Powers. I immediately felt at home and we shared
some laughs as we prepared for
the show. Kinkaed’s is such a great little bar and I applaud John for
doing such a great job with it since he became the
new owner. I was excited about this show because it was my first chance to
do a show with my sister Rosa Lee Turrell.
We had bonded together at Miss Gay America this year and I’ve just grown
to love the person and entertainer she has
become. Again we had a full house and a great show. My thanks to John Woughter/Jessica
Powers, Rosa Lee Turrell
and the Lady D for allowing me to grace the stage with you ladies! I had a
great time. After the show, my boys decide
to take me breakfast…in gown and crown! Talk about
an experience I will NEVER forget! After deciding where to go,
we headed off to Lucy’s Diner. I was joined by a couple of other friends,
Matthew and Brandon and of course my boys.
They were going to make sure that my crown stayed intact. But when I tell
you that I made a grand entrance, I made
a grand entrance! The patrons and staff were so friendly and complimentary
that I was at ease pretty quickly. If my
memory serves me correctly, this is was the very first time I had gone out
to breakfast in FULL DRAG! But what great
fun we had with everyone! It was a night of laughs for sure. I even got behind
the counter and served up some pie!
These are the moments that I’ll remember most about my reign. I’m
so glad I had some special people with me to
share those moments with me and to share in the memories.
The next morning was a rough one as we were all tired
from two nights of late night shows and debauchery. But we
got up, packed our bags and headed out for lunch. After lunch I said good
bye to my friend Steven and thanked him
for being a part of the weekend and the fun. Afterwards, we were on the road
again, back to Fayetteville.
Back in Fayetteville and on to Club Xanadu! We arrived
at Xanadu and met up with my Miss Gay Arkansas sister,
Shanel Herrington who welcomed me and was genuinely excited to see me and
our sister, Kamrin. After a few photos
we got settled and headed out to mingle before the show. This club was beyond
packed and the energy was amazing.
It’s show time and I go upstairs to prepare for what I’m sure
will be an amazing show full of energy and excitement.
I was not disappointed as this crowd erupted as we all took the stage for
our numbers. Talk about made to feel
welcome! I was in awe of the crowd and how much excitement they have for the
shows and entertainers. And with
all of that, the respect they have for them as well. I was overwhelmed by
the sense of accomplishment as I looked
out into the packed audience and saw so many friends who had come out to support
me the entire weekend. It was
a feeling I hope to never forget. My thanks to my Shanel, Olivia LaRue and
Thade Styles, for showing me such a great
time and for allowing me to share the spotlight with them. This was one show
I won’t forget!
After an incredible night, I was starving! So our next
stop was Taco Bell. Yes, I said Taco Bell. We got our food and
headed back to the hotel. There I was met with my friends Dakota Cummings
and Andrew Bowlan who came by for
some pillow talk and laughs. We laughed and chatted about everything…his
life, my life, the dogs’ life. We chatted
about goals and dreams and possibilities. I don’t always have a chance
to just sit and talk with some of my fellow
entertainers, so this was a great opportunity for me to get to know the real
Dakota and what’s behind the makeup.
We shared stories and tacos and enjoyed Andrew dancing around the room. Memories
made, indeed.
Shane, Trey and I awoke the next day tired but ready
to pack up the car and head home from a nonstop, whirlwind
weekend. On our drive home we reminisced about the weekend, all the laughs,
a couple of tears and so many memories.
All I could do was smile.
Many, thanks to NW Arkansas, Club Push, Kinkeads and
Xanadu for having me in your establishments and for treating me
so well. To everyone who came out for my NW Arkansas tour, I thank you from
the bottom of my heart for making me
feel so welcomed. I will forever cherish all of the memories. To my boys…you
know who you are…Thank you for taking
care of me the entire weekend! My weekend could not have been a success without
you. I certainly felt like a Miss Gay
Arkansas America…Special.
Back in Little Rock and my regularly scheduled shows
at Triniti and Discovery. It appears lately that those stages have
become my home. I actually enjoy it! It’s always great to see and perform
with Dominique Sanchez. There is never a
dull moment with Dominique and I enjoy the laughs we share during our show
nights. I’m grateful to her for allowing
me to perform alongside her on both stages. I had great fun as usual Friday
night at Triniti. The shows there have
become quite popular and the crowd that gathers is great. Saturday night was
a little different than usual because
Discovery was hosting the Chippendale Dancers. Unfortunately, we could not
share a dressing room with them until
their show was over, but we sure got an eye full later. We had great fun joking
along some of the guys and later in the
evening I had the treat of pulling one up stage to do a little dance for me…shirtless
of course. Ah, the simple pleasures
of being Miss Gay Arkansas…dancing on stage with a shirtless Chippendale’s
Dancer. You just got to love it!
My weekend was not over yet as I was a judge for the
Miss Gay Diamond Diva pageant system on Sunday evening. I
was a part of a very qualified judging panel which included, Tionne Iman,
Miss Gay Arkansas USofA, Rosa Lee Turrelle,
Miss Gay Arkansas Newcomer USofA, Mendigan Iman Starr, Miss Gay Arkansas USofA
at Large and Herman. This is a
fairly new system that is in the process of growing. There were four divisions
being judged, Miss Newcomer, Miss, Miss
at Large and Mr. It was a great night and it was fun being able to judge something
different. This event was held at Club
Goodtimes to a packed house. Thank you to promoter, Sasha Revlon, for inviting
me to be a part of her journey in this
new endeavor.
The following weekend, my busy January calendar continued
with a trip to Memphis Tennessee. I had been invited by
my friend Brandon Gozell/Ashlyn Tyler, former Miss Gay Tennessee America 2010
to attend the Mystic Krewe of Pegasus’
annual Mardi Gras Ball. Brandon is currently a member of this organization.
The Mardi Gras Ball is a big fundraiser for this
organization and they help to raise money every year for a designated charity.
I stayed with Brandon and new friends,
Don Wolfe and Howard Watts who are the new promoters of Miss Gay Tennessee
America. After arriving on Friday
evening we went to dinner joined by Don’s daughter and her partner.
We had great fun and enjoyed some laughs. But
afterwards it was on to some serious business. During dinner one of the topics
of discussion became about “extreme
couponing”. Well, I was intrigued. While I was never much of a coupon
user per say, that was all about to change. After
some insightful hints and tips, we headed out to do some couponing and see
what we could. Armed with 3 ring binders
full of coupons, we were off and running to find some great deals. Needless
to say, I was introduced into a world I
never knew. Talk about some fun! It was race to see who could get to the store
the quickest and find the best deals.
While I didn’t buy too much, I did fare with a few great deals and even
some free items. I was impressed with my haul
and am now a converted coupon user!
The next morning we got up and headed over to the venue
where the Ball would be held. Brandon had some things to
do before the night’s festivities started and I went over with Don and
Howard to help them unload some things to help
decorate our table for the evening. The Ball was having a “best decorated
table” contest and so Don was pulling out
all the stops for our table. Our table was covered in silver and gold, flowers
and candles and we even had red velvet
cupcakes adorned with a gold “symbol of Excellence” atop it. But,
most importantly there were beads. It was an
incredible work of art that only Don could do. We had an elevated disco ball
and atop that was the Miss Gay Tennessee
America crown. It was spotlighted from underneath and on the sides. It was
like a mini Mardi Gras float. I was impressed
and so were many others who were there to decorate their own tables. After
some time we headed home to relax a bit
before the evening.
We all primped and prepped for our evening out and I
for one was excited about it all. My first Mardi Gras Ball! Oh and
beads! We can’t forget about the beads. The ball was great fun and I
enjoyed the sights and sounds of New Orleans
brought to life by this hardworking group who this for the pure pleasure of
giving back to its community. There was
entertainment and the Krewe members paraded around with back pieces of their
representation of the theme, “Guys
& Dolls”. It was a take on old Hollywood. I saw Lucy and Ricky Ricardo,
Donald and Daisy duck, Liza Minnelli, Joan
Crawford and a host of other characters. The ballroom was treated by special
performances by none other than the
reigning Miss Gay America, Kirby Kolby. She was beautiful
in her performances and was received with a standing ovation.
Later in the evening I had a chance to talk with Kirby, My Miss Gay America
sister and just talk about her reign and mine.
She graciously said she’d seen how busy and I had been and was proud
that I was keeping the spirit of Miss Gay
Arkansas and its legacy alive. It was great to have a few moments with her
and it nice to know that she is doing well
with her reign. I also had the opportunity to have a few moments with Miss
Gay Tennessee America 2011, Pat McCooter.
She is also part of this great organization and is staying busy herself.
After the ball it was off to the after party at Crossroads.
There I was able to see my Memphis friends and catch up a bit
and of course just have some more laughs. It was a full house with many of
the party revelers from the ball who’d made
it over to the after party. It was a great weekend and I’m very thankful
to my friend Brandon who invited me as his guest
and to Don and Howard, for opening up their home to me. You guys are the best
and I hope to see you soon!
Moving on to some preliminary business, I’d like
for everyone to start considering their packages for the upcoming
pageant season. I know a few of you are a little concerned with prelims, but
rest assured, we are working hard to have
a full year. With that being said, over the next months I will be highlighting
the different categories involved.
First up, is MALE INTERVIEW -
This is a category that flusters so many. This should
be the easiest of
categories. The judges want to see YOU and learn who YOU are as an
individual. Your personality should come through while being
professional. They will see your illusion later on; this is their
first impression of the man behind the makeup. Relax and enjoy this.
It’s a table of your peers and friends and they are there because they
want to see you do well. Make sure your answers are thought out, but
don’t take too much time thinking about them. This should be like a
conversation. When you give your biography, make it straight forward
and to the point. Who are you? Where do you live? Career and goals?
What you hope to achieve? When asked a question, make sure you
answer it. There is no need to “run around the bush” to get to
a simple
answer. Be prepared if they ask you a question stemming from your
answer. It happens and some people are thrown off by that. It’s a
natural response, just as in daily conversations. When one asks, “How
are you”? The natural response would be “Fine, thank you. How
are
you”? Try not to over think your answers. Be professional, but be
yourself. Breath and relax…you got this.
Below are the criteria for male interview.
General Appearance- 0 to 20 Points
Personality- 0 to 30 Points
Ability to Communicate- 0 to 50 Points
Answer Content- 0 to 50 Points
Total points 150 possible points per judge
The purpose of Male Interview is to place the contestant in a situation
answering different types of questions and judging how he will react to
their diversity. The context of the answer is important but more
important is how the contestant conveys that answer. Eye contact with
all the judges is very important, not just the judge who has asked the
question. The contestant should answer the judges’ questions and do
not
get involved in getting the opinion of the judge. The contestant is
judged on the presentation of thoughts. The contestant should look
comfortable in properly fitted attire, but not to the point of
sloppiness. Points will be deducted for ill-fitting jackets, pants too long
or short, socks that do not match the colors in the outfit, scuffed shoes,
too much jewelry, wrinkled, torn, or soiled clothing, buttons missing etc.,
and/or anything that distracts from the outfit to make it unsightly. The
contestant is judged on the look that the contestant has chosen for
himself. Usually, trendy outfits do not appeal to the judges, just as they
may not appeal to the average interviewer. The key word is average but
sharp in appearance. The contestant will be trying to impress and appeal
to different types of judges. The flamboyant look will not appeal to every
type of judge. The interview category should last no longer than eight (8)
minutes. A contestant may compete in the Male Interview category with
“feminine” finger nails; however, contestants should be cautious
of excessive
use of hand gestures that might distract from the general presentation of
the contestant.
Male interview was always one of my favorite categories
and always
seemed to do well. I was 5th overall at Miss Gay America this past year
a fact that I’m very proud of. If you have any questions on this or
any
category, please feel free to contact me.
Next month we’ll discuss SOLO TALENT.
I hope many of you are considering running for Miss
Gay Arkansas America. I realize there are choices out there
for you, but none like the prestige that I believe the Miss Gay America system
has. I urge you to talk to me or any
of the formers for insight and guidance as you prepare your packages. It is
never too early to begin preparations
for your preliminary and if I can help, I’m just a phone call or email
away.
If you are not considering running for Miss Gay Arkansas
America, then I encourage you to perhaps become a
promoter. There are several preliminaries available for sale, or create your
own. I am available for inquiries as is
the Arkansas Alumni Board. Feel free to contact us with any questions. We
are here to work with you to have a
successful pageant.
PHONE NUMBERS:
501-920-9921 Dennis Harris, Co-Chair
501-951-3690 Shane Loftis, Co-Chair
501-650-3373 Zia D’Yor, Miss Gay Arkansas America 2011
E-MAIL ADDRESSES:
Conar32@aol.com - Dennis Harris
Kamrinmgar2005@aol.com - Shane Loftis
ZiaMGAR2011@gmail.com – Zia D’Yor
Finally as I close out this month’s newsletter, stay tuned for some
incredible updates. There are great things happening
on the horizon and I hope you’ll be just as excited as I am about them.
Among these announcements will be the theme
for this year’s Miss Gay Arkansas America Pageant and the criteria for
the contestants. So much to do and the time is just
flying by. It’s getting exciting!
What a full month January has been. February is not
as hectic and I welcome the slight break. I can’t slow down too much
as there are things to be done.
I closing I leave you with this thought. Sometimes,
our lives get so busy and hectic that we forget to stop and recognize
key moments in our lives. Sometimes, they are large and sometimes, the moments
are small. It’s the small one we should
worry about. I had to be reminded of this a couple of weeks ago while I was
in NW Arkansas. My time as Miss Gay Arkansas
America 2011 is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I want to make sure that
I make a million and one memories, so that when
it’s done and I pass the crown on to the next deserving individual,
I can look back and never regret not stopping to take in
a moment and make a memory. I encourage you to take time out of your busy
lives and take a moment to make a memory
that will last you a lifetime.
With Love,
Zia D’Yor
Miss Gay Arkansas America 2011
501-650-3373
ZiaMGAR2011@gmail.com