 FEBRUARY: AS CELIA SEES IT
Into The Future: Full Speed Ahead!
January was here and gone in 60 seconds like a gritty, spirited action film from the ‘70s. We rolled out the red carpet (thanks to Barbra Seville … literally!) and started the new year off with an event-filled visit from Miss Gay America 2012 Kirby Kolby! First was the Golden Wighead Awards at Karamba Nightclub where honors were bestowed upon our community of female impersonators. Thank you to everyone who voted, and congrats to Daniel Eckstrom and Lee Revelle who took home the Wighead for “Favorite Drag Event” for the Miss Gay Arizona America pageant! The rest of the awards were handed out fairly evenly and I actually took home a few of my own.
Next was a slew of shows with Kirby; it was wonderful to see the community give him such a warm, emphatic reception. I held my mini “Miss Arizona Retreat” that Saturday where formers gathered and we discussed the upcoming season which would begin the very next day with Joey Saputo’s Miss Gay Copper City. It was great having Barbra Seville, Phaedra, Angela Dodd, and Sache Van Cartier be a part of the discussion; I hope we can make this a tradition in the future.
I presided over Miss Gay Copper City, my first official prelim of the year, focusing on the administrative aspect, and all things went very well. Nevaeh Mckenzie was crowned Miss Gay Copper City 2012 and Masquerade placed first alternate; both gentlemen will compete at the Miss Gay Arizona America 2012 pageant on August 4-5. I commend both contestants for setting their goals early and sticking to them; qualifying early is important as it will give them plenty of time to prepare for state and nationals. As we get further in the season, I suspect the pageants will stack up with contestants scrambling to qualify. My advice is to select your prelim right away, stay committed, and leave yourself some options.
I wrote my first pageant report and realized quickly that I won’t always be popular when enforcing rules and following guidelines. The fact is, the regulations that guide us are tried and true; following them ensures a fair, consistent pageant for all parties involved. I was never disillusioned; after winning Miss Arizona I’ve always known that while the first six months would be exciting and filled with accolades, the second half would be challenging and a test of my character. Thank you, again, to MGAZ ’06 Amanda Bury who took time to put together my Miss Arizona Binder which includes the MGA Handbook. It weighs 4.5lbs and I now carry it with me everywhere. In fact, my arms are receiving quite the workout!
The Ladies Who Lunch
I held my first “Ladies who Lunch” assembly in Tucson at Colors Restaurant with an open invitation to prospective contestants in the region. The response was warm and refreshing; special thanks to Tempest DuJour and Vivika D’Angelo, former Miss Gay Tucsons, who welcomed me. It was exciting to see who is already planning on competing at promoter Tori Steele's Miss Gay Tucson Pageant which will be held on Sunday April 15th; the level of commitment is impressive! I plan to hold my next “Ladies who Lunch” assembly again in Tucson at Colors on Sat Feb 11th at 4pm. This has been a terrific way in a casual atmosphere to both socialize and answer questions about the Arizona-America pageant season. All are welcome! I would also like to remind everyone in Tucson that if your goal is to compete at Miss Gay Arizona, there are three open-entry prelims which will take place in Phoenix: Miss Gay Metropolis on Sunday Feb 12th; Queen of the Desert on Sunday April 1st; and Miss Gay Cosmopolitan on Sat April 28th.
I had the honor of judging the Miss Arizona USA pageants in January; and congratulations are in order to Saellah VI (Miss AZ USA ’12), Khloe V. Monroe (Miss AZ Newcomer USA ’12), and Onyx Anderson (Miss AZ Classic USA ’12). I give kudos to Mike Fornelli and his army of promoters for producing such a grand event which culminated in the triple crowning; I look forward to working with these gals in the months ahead!
Up next is the Miss Gay Metropolis Pageant on Sunday Feb 12th at BS WEST; the festivities begin at 5:30 that day with pre-judging of solo talent. Miss Gay America ’96 Kerri Nichols will be coming in to perform that weekend, and it will be great having her stay with my partner Bill and me. We plan to give her the “Miss America” treatment which will include a visit to Desert Botanical Garden. Kerri was the first Miss America who I saw crowned, and he has been a personal springboard to my own dreams of one day carrying that honor.
Miss Gay Phoenix takes place on Saturday March 3rd at Charlie’s, and boy it’s coming fast! Tyra Marie has been diligently working on details of the pageant with promoter Michael Weidman and both are very excited. Beyond that … Queen, Tucson, and Cosmo. By the end of April we will have qualified 12 contestants to compete for the job of Miss Gay Arizona. I hope to set up my “Celia Putty Project” Fund-raising tour in May or June and I hope that the 12 gentlemen will join me in gaining exposure and raising money for some local organizations.
Community: Thank You, For Being a Friend
January was a sad time for our community when we learned that our friends Savannah Stevens and Wes Eichsteadt sustained terrible injuries in a physical assault. No one should suffer the violence they suffered. Fortunately, where there is love, there is healing. An outpouring of love swept throughout our community in the form of fund-raisers, and I was reassured again that our community shines brightest in times of tragedy: we are blinded by that light which guides us. I wish Savannah and Wes a fast recovery both physically and emotionally. I was happy to be able to see them, but even happier this week when Savannah was able to send me a personal message. Get better, sister! We need you back on stage!
With that, it’s important that we remember to take time to enjoy the things that make us happy, but most importantly, to pay it forward.
Love,
Celia Putty
Miss Gay Arizona America 2011
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JANUARY: AS CELIA SEES IT
Half Full
Is the glass half full or half empty? It’s the quintessential question about optimism vs. pessimism, and six months into my reign as Miss Gay Arizona America I am faced with that very question. My friends enjoy teasing me endlessly with quips like, “Girl, you know your reign is half over!”
But I don’t take that to heart. Outwardly, I have always tried to be the optimist. Coincidentally, somebody said to me this week that my reign will never end. “Once a Miss Arizona, always a Miss Arizona.” So for me – someone who ran for Miss Gay Arizona several times and has felt the heartache of losing it, someone who concluded (mistakenly!) that he probably would never get to join its sisterhood – for me, that glass is always going to be half full and that cup will never runneth over.
If I have learned anything in my lifetime, it is to savor the moment. As I look back over the last six months, it is with enthusiasm because it was a whirlwind of magical moments and activities. Several of those months were spent fund-raising and preparing to compete at Miss Gay America in October. Once again, thank you to everyone who contributed their time and money, to all those who helped make this journey one that I am officially calling “my best MGA experience yet.” This was my fourth time competing at Miss Gay America, and placing Top Ten again was incredible. I am humbled by the onslaught of support that both my first alternate Tyra Marie and I received as we planned our road trip to Ohio; I am satisfied and confident that we represented Arizona very well. Thank you … thank you!
Congratulations to Kirby Kolby, an old friend who won Miss Gay America! I am super-excited for Kirby’s first visit to Arizona Jan 11-15th, and to be working with him at my home bar FRIENDS during my Freaky Friday show on Friday the 13th! Thank you, Barbra Seville, for coordinating Kirby’s trip and for always being the first to roll out the red carpet for our reigning MGAs.
I also found time during my preparations for Miss Gay America to join Barbra Seville’s Wonderful 100 for AIDS Walk Arizona. Our team raised more than $24,000. I kept my promise to walk in full boogie, crown and all, and I was able to contribute more than $2000. It was amazing!
The Upcoming MGAZ Prelims
Daniel Eckstrom and Lee Revelle have been terrific promoters this year and congratulations to them both for winning “Best Venue to hold a Pageant” and “Best State Pageant.” We’ve been working hard, narrowing dates and venues for the upcoming Miss Gay Arizona preliminaries. The schedule is as follows: Miss Gay Copper City America - Sunday January 15th at Cruisin 7th; Miss Gay Metropolis America - Sunday February 12th at BS West; Miss Gay Phoenix America - Saturday March 3rd at Charlies; Miss Queen of the Desert America - Sunday April 1st at Cruisin' 7th; Miss Gay Tucson America - Sunday April 15th at Colors; and Miss Gay Cosmopolitan America - Saturday April 28th (location TBA).
As we turn the corner and face 2012 with open arms and an open heart, the pageant season is going into high gear right away with Miss Gay Copper City on Sunday January 15th at Cruisin’ 7th. Joey Saputo (aka Judith Derriere) is a proven promoter and will not disappoint us; his pageant leads the pack this year and will set the tone and quality for the others that follow. Diva, Miss Gay Copper City ’11, is preparing to step down and Kirby Kolby, MGA ’12, is making an appearance … this should be one for the books! I wish the best of luck to the contestants; as always, I am looking forward to a rousing, fair competition that will qualify the first two contestants for Miss Gay Arizona 2012.
Miss Gay Metropolis America will take place at BS West on Sunday February 12th, and I’d like to formally announce that John Allard-Lawson and I are co-promoting it. This particular MGAZ preliminary is dear to my heart because I created it back in 1999 and kept it going for its first three years. I was humbled to learn a few years ago that others have kept Metropolis going during my long hiatus. In fact, it was when I judged Miss Gay Metropolis two years ago that I realized how much I missed pageantry and female impersonation – and from that springboard I made a return to it all. Nevaeh Mckenzie will be stepping down and I’m certain he’s planning a remarkable production!
Beyond Copper City and Metropolis is the Miss Gay Phoenix pageant and Tyra Marie will be stepping down. This year’s event will take place again at Charlie’s on Saturday March 3rd; I have such fond memories of being Miss Gay Phoenix back in 1995. Imagine, no internet! Everything was on cassette tape. And we had to walk 50 miles in the snow just to get to the wig store. (GRIN)
Who Do We Have For The Future?
It is heartwarming to hear from my fellow entertainers who are planning to run for one of the MGAZ prelims. I wish you the best of luck … keep your competition package clean and consistent but don’t be afraid to take chances and just be yourself. Most of all: don’t forget to have fun! There’s so much to consider. I believe it’s important to prepare for “not winning” as much as “winning.” Ask yourself, how will I react if I don’t win? How would I want my fellow contestants to react if I do win? Am I putting my “all” into this competition and, if so, will I be okay if the judges decide it wasn’t enough?
The road to Miss Gay Arizona is different for everyone. Some of us have been ready right out of the gate, but most of us had to have it slip through our fingers a few times before we could understand its significance. I also believe the value of this title is in direct relation to the respect and appreciation we have for those who held it before us. I made a commitment last season to reach out to the formers and include them. I challenge anyone considering turning onto the road to Miss Gay Arizona to know its history. You will find that not two former Miss Gay Arizonas are alike, each one has carried the banner of “symbol of excellence” in his own, special way.
And that means there’s room for you in this sisterhood if you find it in your heart. Deal?
Love,
Celia Putty
Miss Gay Arizona America 2011
Be sure to check out:
THE "DL" WITH DANIEL & LEE
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