Wp</tle><path d="M11.055 8.728l-1.018-1.019-.782.782v6.292l1.782 1.564.018-.019v-7.6zm-4.11.236L5.674 7.71l-.836.855v6.237l1.545 1.327.564-.636V8.964zm2.656 9.074l-2.528-2.182-1.927 2.182-2.619-2.255v-3.564h-.509c-.454 0-.672.273-.745.636H1.09a2.89 2.89 0 0 1-.091-.69c0-.473.2-1.71 1.527-1.71V7.691c0-1.073-.709-1.127-.709-2.054 0-1.037.982-2 2.782-2.637l.164.145c-.6.291-1.09.655-1.09 1.437 0 1.2 1.163.89 1.163 2.782v.727l2.127-2.236 2.237 2.2 2.109-2.2 2.036 2v6.728l-3.745 3.455zm11.108-9.625l-1.073-.982-.964 1.018v6.6c.855.11 1.491.4 2.019.964l.018-.018V8.413zm-2.382.418l-.528.545v10.237l.528.492V8.83zm1.49 9.055c-.308-.382-.69-.709-1.145-.836v3.782l-.036.018-1-.927-2.11 1.945-.036-.018V16.96c-.636.145-1.327.545-1.854 1.2l-.146-.091c.127-1.4.818-2.436 2-2.837v-3.545h-.382c-.527 0-.89.363-.963.763h-.219c-.054-.145-.127-.381-.127-.836 0-.891.6-1.564 1.582-1.564h.11V8.085l-.655-.582-.51.51-.254-.237 2.018-2.073 1.71 1.564V9.05l.527-.564v-2.09h.345v1.727l2.273-2.419L23 7.576v7.91l-3.182 2.4z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg><span class="mr-xs ml-xs gray-darkt flex ems-center">Get the full experience.<span class="ml-xs subs-theme blue">Choose your plan</span></span><svg class="ntent-box" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16" xmlns=" style="fill:#166dfc" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img"><tle>ArrowRight</tle><path d="M7.664 1.25l6 6a1 1 0 010 1.414l-6 6L6.25 13.25 10.499 9H2V7h8.585L6.25 2.664 7.664 1.25z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></a><div data-orientatn="horizontal" role="separator" class="wpds-c-dbVHzF wpds-c-dbVHzF-hDkAcj-variant-flt"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I hope that by the end of the year, nobody will be foced on my sexualy,” said O’Flaherty, phong om the Atlantic Cy green room where she has been submtg, exceedgly polely, to terview after terview about her sexualy. “I hope they remember me for how I did the job, and not for one qualy about me.” She reports, by the way, that the green room is filled wh rows of ltle ts, so that the tired nttants n nap between rehearsals.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“But the support I’ve had, wh my fay and iends, has been so great,” ntu O’Flaherty, 23. “I n’t tell you how many posive msag I get on a daily basis om people, and not only the LGBT muny.” She me out as a lbian llege, which is also when she began participatg pageants: She saw a woman a sash at a gatherg, and thought the petns would be a fun way to build a social circle.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Her talent is sgg; she will be performg a song om the mil “Wonrland.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Her hidn talent is livtock judgg: While growg up South Carola, O’Flaherty was volved wh 4-H and the summers went to livtock judgg mp, where, she says, children learned to evaluate the build, ndn and appearance of var farm animals.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The e she plans to champn is teen suici preventn. If she ws, she will put the $50,000 prize toward an MBA.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">There’s somethg trigug about all of this, or maybe not trigug about all of this. Is O’Flaherty’s ntenrship is renega (for middle Ameri)? Or is retrogra (for lbians)?</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Or maybe this is jt the time to acknowledge that the primary pageant dience has been, for some time now, a aln of tart-tongued gay men and “tradnal valu” Bible belters — and here, at last, Er O’Flaherty, is the sign that we are not two Ameris after all. We are one Ameri, and the one thg we n all agree on is that Er “looked fantastic her swimsu and gown,” says pageant nsultant Chris Saltalamacch, when asked to asss O’Flaherty’s chanc. “In the prelimari, she jt looked fantastic.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null"><b>Vansa Williams bem</b>e the first Ain Amerin Miss Ameri 1984 (famoly -throned, <a href=" shape="rect">ls famoly apologized to last year</a>). Heather Whtone beme the first af Miss Ameri 1994. Angela Perez Baraqu beme the first Asian Amerin Miss Ameri 2001.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The pageant was a major pop-culture event for s, and then the pageant was sudnly a dty, embarassg relic — dowdier than Miss USA, dimmer than "Amerin Idol" — until regag, recent years, the tert and viewership of the live-tweetg crowd. All throughout, the anizatn has proudly <a href=" shape="rect">touted s famo firsts pre-pageant buzz</a>: first ndidate wh tism, wh alopecia, wh tattoos, even if those firsts are often a ut step behd the tim.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Miss Ameri tends to be more reflective of society than fluencg,” says Hilary Levey Friedman, who teach a urse at Brown Universy on the cultural history of pageants. “If [O’Flaherty] ws, ’s not a game changer for gay and lbian issu,” which, she not, have already won wispread validatn wh the legalizatn of same-sex marriage. Friedman also not that sometim historic firsts lead to backlash, when on-stage bety llis wh real-world ugly: After Na Davuluri won 2014, onle menters were fur that the crown had gone to an “Arab” and “foreigner.” Davuluri, who is Indian Amerin, was born Syrace.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">Miss Ameri Na Davuluri fights post-pageant racism wh a bety queen’s poise</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miss Ameri still requir participants to be unmarried. It still requir nttants to have never been pregnant. Miss Ameri is still sperately wag to see which salad fork the rt of the untry picks up first, so don’t accintally do somethg shockg.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">And for however much the pageant is prented as an empowerg, femist experience — and s vote do see as an empowerg, femist experience — is rooted the lty gaze of 1920s Atlantic Cy bsmen who, lookg to extend the cy’s tourist season, cid to do so by crowng the prettit bathg bety on the beach. The first wner was Margaret Gorman, who was appld by the judg for reprentg “the type of womanhood Ameri needs. Able to shoulr the rponsibili of homemakg and motherhood.” She was 15.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null"><b>What is the type</b> of womanhood Ameri needs? Should Miss Ameri be mure or sexy? An emissary of the tim, or an in snow-globed away om all those msy current events? Should we even expect to sort all out on a stage where women wanr around totterg Luce high heels?</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">D.C. and Maryland w Miss Ameri swimsu ntts</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In some ways, O'Flaherty's participatn the pageant is even more groundbreakg than the victori of Vansa Williams or Angela Perez Baraqu. Those women may have had sk of different lors, or featur outsi of the Anglo-Saxon norm, but they still upheld the pageant's re male fantasy: Unr the right datg circumstanc, <i>they might kiss you</i>.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In other ways, ’s ls so. O’Flaherty will never kiss you, men. But led up next to the other 51 nttants, she will be distguishable appearance om the rt of the long-limbed, long-haired creatur on stage. (It’s wonrful for the pageant to reveal that a betiful woman might also be a lbian; would be more so if one day revealed that a non-betiful woman might also be servg of a crown.)</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“When I first me out, I heard a lot of, ‘Oh, but you’re feme, don’t make any sense,’ ” O’Flaherty says. She wants to dispel any remag myths that all lbians look or act a certa way, she says.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">All week long, the nttants have been petg prelimary petns such as eveng gown and talent and “Liftyle and Fns Swimsu” — a tegory tle that sounds like a still life created at a YMCA patg class — and personal terviews wh the judg. O’Flaherty didn’t w the swimsu or talent ntts — the two highly fluential prelimari that announce s victors before the big show — and will not learn until Sunday whether she advanc to the fal 15.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But cidg to beg petg pageants “is the bt cisn I’ve ever ma,” O’Flaherty says. “Really, I’m havg a blast. We’re all havg so much fun.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null"><i>An earlier versn of this story misspelled the name of the first Miss Ameri. She was Margaret Gorman.</i></p></div><div class="wpds-c-ipATMk wpds-c-ipATMk-hCiGAB-removeMobileStyl-te"><div class="wpds-c-dhzjXW wpds-c-dhzjXW-iPJLV-css overriStyl mt-md tt"><div id="gift-share-end" data-ttid="gift-share-end" class="PJLV PJLV-idiqKOk-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-iIVoLq-placement-Shortcut foc-highlight"><div class="wpds-c-UazGY" id="gift-share-shortcut" data-ttid="gift-share-shortcut"><svg xmlns=" fill="var(--wpds-lors-primary)" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fVfumU "><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg><div class="PJLV wpds-c-kwcHlj">Share</div></div></button></div><div class="wpds-c-hcekgi"><div class="mb-lg-mod" data-qa="ments-btn-div"><button aria-label="Scroll to the ments sectn" data-qa="ments-btn" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-SQjOY-variant-sendary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-nsy-flt wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-in-left wpds-c-kSOqLF-igqYgPb-css ments hi-for-prt"><svg xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp "><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg><span></span> Comments</button></div></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css"><div></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css"><div></div></div><sectn class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css dn-ns hi-for-prt" data-ttid="mostRead" subscriptns-sectn="ntent"><div data-ttid="lazy-most-read-parent" class=""><div style="m-height:800px"></div></div></sectn><div class="PJLV PJLV-ickXkbz-css"><div data-qa="newsletter" class="hi-for-prt relative"><div class="dib w-100"><div><div class="flex jtify-center align self-center center transn-all duratn-400 ease--out" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup" aria-label=""><svg aria-labelledby="react-aria-1-aria" role="img" viewBox="0 0 100 80"><tle id="react-aria-1-aria">Loadg...

first miss gay america

Miss Missouri Er O'Flaherty will make history this Sunday as the first openly gay nttant the Miss Ameri pageant. But she's not the only one to break a barrier.

Contents:

FIRST GAY MISS AMERI DEIDRE DOWNS OPENS UP ABOUT WIFE’S PREGNANCY

Mr. Gay Ameri 2018, Judas Ellt, shows by dazzlg exampl — wh photographer and llaborator Erika Wagner, The Drag Photographer — what tak to snag the tle. * first miss gay america *

In late 1972, Nashville, TN (at The Watch Your Hat and Coat Saloon), Norman Jon (a/k/a Norma Kristie), was the first man to be crowned as Miss Gay Ameri. Through the visn of Jerry Peak, the origal owner of the Miss Gay Ameri Pageant, Norman Jon, Miss Gay Ameri Emer, not only sired to enhance the art of female illn as a petor but also to one day create his mark history as promoter the art form.

MISS GAY FANCY AMERI 2023

Miss Missouri is the first openly gay nttant. Is this progrs, or jt tchg up? * first miss gay america *

After relquishg reign as Miss Gay Ameri 1973, Norman Jon purchased ( 1975) the Miss Gay Ameri pageant, om origal owner Jerry Peek, hop of one day growg the pageant system to be the most prtig and most rpected pageant for female impersonators the world.

Many thanks go to Jerry Peek, for his pneer visn and effort pageantry through the art of female impersonatn, and to Norman Jon for his 30 years of ditn and sire to mold the Miss Gay Ameri pageant to the “bt of the bt” many years of trial and tribulatn, Norman Jon achieved this goal as the official Miss Gay Ameri pageant ntu today, to be the most prtig, most well rpected, the olst and the largt pageant system for female impersonators the untry and world. Now owned by Mad Angel Entertament, the pageant ntu to grow and is expected to bee even greater and more prtig, years to as the “Symbol of Excellence”, each wner of the Miss Gay Ameri system reprents profsnalism and the utmost of qualy entertament that the art of female impersonatn has to offer.

Wh no body gmentatn below the neck allowed, many nttants rely on breast pads, hip pads, flatterg clothg, hairstyle and make-up to merge to a wng batn that will sre high enough to bee the natn’s next Miss Gay nearly thirty (and growg) direct State and Regnal prelimary pageants to the Miss Gay Ameri natnal petn, each year the wner and first alternate of each direct prelimary will travel to the Natnal petn hop of achievg their goal of beg the next Miss Gay Ameri. Likewise many of the State pageants have direct prelimari whereby the wner and first alternate of the “metropolan” prelimary pageants will travel to the State ntt, effort to be the State’s next Symbol of Excellence and to qualify for the natnal petn, hop to be crowned as the next Miss Gay Ameri. While this pageant at first, was marketed exclively for the gay muny, people om all walks of life have grown to enjoy and admire the ditn and talent need to be succsful this pageant system.

MONROE PERFORMER REACH DRAG QUEEN SUMM, CROWNED MISS GAY AMERI 2022

Alyssa Edwards won the Miss Gay Ameri pageant 2010 but was stripped of the tle shortly after. Read on to fd out why this happened. * first miss gay america *

Each of the aforementned tegori are signed to produce a well round Miss Gay Ameri that n lead by example. The newly crowned Miss Gay Ameri n earn as much as $70, 000 durg their reign as Miss Gay Ameri, sh, priz, travel, appearance fe and gratuy for appearance. Deidre Downs — who is the first openly gay Miss Ameri and a fertily specialist — ma a bold proclamatn to her now-wife, Abbott Jon.

Durg her OB-GYN rincy, she started to feel distant om her spoe and went to unselg, where she realized she’s gay. “I hope people see there are many ways to build a fay — if you are gay, straight, a relatnship or not one, ” said Downs. Established Nashville 1972, The Miss Gay Ameri Pageant is the world's first, longt nng and most prtig natnwi female impersonator (aka drag) petn.

MISS GAY AMERI IS TRYG TO KEEP DRAG PAGEANTS ALIVE

Louis, New York Cy's Pattaya Hart was recently crowned Miss Gay Ameri as the "Symbol of Excellence, " Miss Gay Ameri wners reprent the utmost profsnalism and entertament the art of female impersonatn. Each October, dozens of nttants om over one hundred cy, state and regnal prelimari across the untry pete over four nights for the Miss Gay Ameri crown.

Wng on her first attempt, Pattaya Hart is the send nsecutive wner to be om New York Cy, followg the footsteps of Manhattan entertaer, Miss Gay Ameri 2019, Andora Te'tee. Also om New York Cy is the Miss Gay Ameri 2020 Fourth Alternate, Fifi is not Pattaya Hart's first drag tle. "The Miss Gay Ameri 2020 wners (last photo) are L-R: Fourth Alternate Fifi DuBois (Miss Gay Midwt Ameri 2019), First Alternate Dextaci (Miss Gay Mid-Atlantic Ameri 2019), Miss Gay Ameri 2020 Pattaya Hart, Miss Gay Ameri 2019 Andora Te'tee, Send Alternate Ivy Dripp (Miss Gay Louisiana Ameri 2019), and Third Alternate Tly Fabu (Miss Gay New York Ameri 2019).

Follow Miss Gay Ameri on urty of BjKj Productns urty of #Boom Magaze.

MEET THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MISS AMERI CONTTANT IN HISTORY

Jo as we crown the FIRST Miss Gay Fancy Ameri Gay Fancy Ameri is an Official Regnal Prelimary to Miss Gay Ameri 2024Honorg Miss Gay Ameri 2023 Tatiyanna Voche!

Tickets are $20 for the pageant and all proceeds will go to help the Wner and First Alternate to get to Miss Gay Ameri Ltle Rock Arkansas.

WHY WAS ALYSSA EDWARDS DETHRONED FROM MISS GAY AMERI PAGEANT?

Dex Poxter, perhaps better known as drag queen Dextaci, was crowned Miss Gay Ameri at the 50th Miss Gay Ameri pageant Jan. Miss Gay Ameri is a natnal pageant for female impersonators.

Conttants pete at var cy, state, and direct regnal prelimari for the chance to advance to the official Miss Gay Ameri tle.

ER O'FLAHERTY IS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MISS AMERI CONTTANT -- AND OTHER PAGEANT FIRSTS

"Now wng, while 's not as much as a heartache petg, 's also still gog to require effective game-planng and beg proactive wh my support work jt to make sure the bells and whistl n still go along wh beg Miss Gay Ameri. "A Glamoro Gamble:Dex Poxter's qut to be crowned Miss Gay AmeriPoxter referred to the tle as the "ambassador, " the "CEO" and the "spokmol for Miss Gay Ameri pageantry. " "She has to travel the untry and appear at every prelimary that directly go to her give-up, such as Miss Gay Oklahoma, Miss Gay Missouri, Miss Gay Louisiana, Miss Gay Texas, " Poxter said.

"The tegori the Miss Gay Ameri petn are analogo to those featured the Miss Ameri pageant, such as talent, eveng wear, and terview. "The last tegory is male terview, which is very specific to the Miss Gay Ameri pageant system, " Poxter said.

It's an 8-mute tegory where they really ask you the different thgs that make you the bt ndidate for the job to bee the next Miss Gay Ameri.

MISS GAY AMERI 2022

"I feel to w somethg of the liber like Miss Gay Ameri, really do blow the hg the door off of the hg of such a nservative, bible-belt type area, " Poxter said. "A lot of people thk that somethg like Miss Gay Ameri probably would never happen here but I'm fely so proud of myself for really breakg down those barriers and really phg the envelope for people that really don't matter where you live or how you live your life. Anythg is possible, most pecially a small-town guy, like myself, om Monroe to w somethg of such liber and prtig like Miss Gay Ameri.

“She’s about 26 weeks pregnant and we were very fortunate that she got pregnant wh the first transfer and has done well, ” Downs Gunn shared on the podst, addg the upl' medil team supported Downs Gunn's role the transfer and performed the rt of Downs's Gunn said that growg up Alabama she never imaged life as an openly gay woman. “That was really the first time I maybe reflected and realized that I was gay, ” she said on the Downs Gunn first me out, she never anticipated even datg, let alone startg a fay wh someone.

Gay Ameri 2018, Judas Ellt, shows by dazzlg exampl -- wh photographer and llaborator Erika Wagner, The Drag Photographer -- what tak to snag the the gay muny have long been faiar wh the Miss Gay Ameri pageant, whether om knowg a petor, attendg a prelimary, seeg a Miss Gay Ameri tleholr perform at a lol club, or as a nttant on RuPl's Drag there is a unterpart to the Miss Gay Ameri pageant and tle, and that is Mr. Gay Ameri. Gay All-Amerin (MGAA) pageant, was the first ntt of s kd.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* FIRST MISS GAY AMERICA

Wp</tle><path d="M11.055 8.728l-1.018-1.019-.782.782v6.292l1.782 1.564.018-.019v-7.6zm-4.11.236L5.674 7.71l-.836.855v6.237l1.545 1.327.564-.636V8.964zm2.656 9.074l-2.528-2.182-1.927 2.182-2.619-2.255v-3.564h-.509c-.454 0-.672.273-.745.636H1.09a2.89 2.89 0 0 1-.091-.69c0-.473.2-1.71 1.527-1.71V7.691c0-1.073-.709-1.127-.709-2.054 0-1.037.982-2 2.782-2.637l.164.145c-.6.291-1.09.655-1.09 1.437 0 1.2 1.163.89 1.163 2.782v.727l2.127-2.236 2.237 2.2 2.109-2.2 2.036 2v6.728l-3.745 3.455zm11.108-9.625l-1.073-.982-.964 1.018v6.6c.855.11 1.491.4 2.019.964l.018-.018V8.413zm-2.382.418l-.528.545v10.237l.528.492V8.83zm1.49 9.055c-.308-.382-.69-.709-1.145-.836v3.782l-.036.018-1-.927-2.11 1.945-.036-.018V16.96c-.636.145-1.327.545-1.854 1.2l-.146-.091c.127-1.4.818-2.436 2-2.837v-3.545h-.382c-.527 0-.89.363-.963.763h-.219c-.054-.145-.127-.381-.127-.836 0-.891.6-1.564 1.582-1.564h.11V8.085l-.655-.582-.51.51-.254-.237 2.018-2.073 1.71 1.564V9.05l.527-.564v-2.09h.345v1.727l2.273-2.419L23 7.576v7.91l-3.182 2.4z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg><span class="mr-xs ml-xs gray-darkt flex ems-center">Get the full experience.<span class="ml-xs subs-theme blue">Choose your plan</span></span><svg class="ntent-box" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16" xmlns=" style="fill:#166dfc" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img"><tle>ArrowRight</tle><path d="M7.664 1.25l6 6a1 1 0 010 1.414l-6 6L6.25 13.25 10.499 9H2V7h8.585L6.25 2.664 7.664 1.25z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></a><div data-orientatn="horizontal" role="separator" class="wpds-c-dbVHzF wpds-c-dbVHzF-hDkAcj-variant-flt"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I hope that by the end of the year, nobody will be foced on my sexualy,” said O’Flaherty, phong om the Atlantic Cy green room where she has been submtg, exceedgly polely, to terview after terview about her sexualy. “I hope they remember me for how I did the job, and not for one qualy about me.” She reports, by the way, that the green room is filled wh rows of ltle ts, so that the tired nttants n nap between rehearsals.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“But the support I’ve had, wh my fay and iends, has been so great,” ntu O’Flaherty, 23. “I n’t tell you how many posive msag I get on a daily basis om people, and not only the LGBT muny.” She me out as a lbian llege, which is also when she began participatg pageants: She saw a woman a sash at a gatherg, and thought the petns would be a fun way to build a social circle.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Her talent is sgg; she will be performg a song om the mil “Wonrland.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Her hidn talent is livtock judgg: While growg up South Carola, O’Flaherty was volved wh 4-H and the summers went to livtock judgg mp, where, she says, children learned to evaluate the build, ndn and appearance of var farm animals.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The e she plans to champn is teen suici preventn. If she ws, she will put the $50,000 prize toward an MBA.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">There’s somethg trigug about all of this, or maybe not trigug about all of this. Is O’Flaherty’s ntenrship is renega (for middle Ameri)? Or is retrogra (for lbians)?</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Or maybe this is jt the time to acknowledge that the primary pageant dience has been, for some time now, a aln of tart-tongued gay men and “tradnal valu” Bible belters — and here, at last, Er O’Flaherty, is the sign that we are not two Ameris after all. We are one Ameri, and the one thg we n all agree on is that Er “looked fantastic her swimsu and gown,” says pageant nsultant Chris Saltalamacch, when asked to asss O’Flaherty’s chanc. “In the prelimari, she jt looked fantastic.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null"><b>Vansa Williams bem</b>e the first Ain Amerin Miss Ameri 1984 (famoly -throned, <a href=" shape="rect">ls famoly apologized to last year</a>). Heather Whtone beme the first af Miss Ameri 1994. Angela Perez Baraqu beme the first Asian Amerin Miss Ameri 2001.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The pageant was a major pop-culture event for s, and then the pageant was sudnly a dty, embarassg relic — dowdier than Miss USA, dimmer than "Amerin Idol" — until regag, recent years, the tert and viewership of the live-tweetg crowd. All throughout, the anizatn has proudly <a href=" shape="rect">touted s famo firsts pre-pageant buzz</a>: first ndidate wh tism, wh alopecia, wh tattoos, even if those firsts are often a ut step behd the tim.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Miss Ameri tends to be more reflective of society than fluencg,” says Hilary Levey Friedman, who teach a urse at Brown Universy on the cultural history of pageants. “If [O’Flaherty] ws, ’s not a game changer for gay and lbian issu,” which, she not, have already won wispread validatn wh the legalizatn of same-sex marriage. Friedman also not that sometim historic firsts lead to backlash, when on-stage bety llis wh real-world ugly: After Na Davuluri won 2014, onle menters were fur that the crown had gone to an “Arab” and “foreigner.” Davuluri, who is Indian Amerin, was born Syrace.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">Miss Ameri Na Davuluri fights post-pageant racism wh a bety queen’s poise</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miss Ameri still requir participants to be unmarried. It still requir nttants to have never been pregnant. Miss Ameri is still sperately wag to see which salad fork the rt of the untry picks up first, so don’t accintally do somethg shockg.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">And for however much the pageant is prented as an empowerg, femist experience — and s vote do see as an empowerg, femist experience — is rooted the lty gaze of 1920s Atlantic Cy bsmen who, lookg to extend the cy’s tourist season, cid to do so by crowng the prettit bathg bety on the beach. The first wner was Margaret Gorman, who was appld by the judg for reprentg “the type of womanhood Ameri needs. Able to shoulr the rponsibili of homemakg and motherhood.” She was 15.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null"><b>What is the type</b> of womanhood Ameri needs? Should Miss Ameri be mure or sexy? An emissary of the tim, or an in snow-globed away om all those msy current events? Should we even expect to sort all out on a stage where women wanr around totterg Luce high heels?</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">D.C. and Maryland w Miss Ameri swimsu ntts</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In some ways, O'Flaherty's participatn the pageant is even more groundbreakg than the victori of Vansa Williams or Angela Perez Baraqu. Those women may have had sk of different lors, or featur outsi of the Anglo-Saxon norm, but they still upheld the pageant's re male fantasy: Unr the right datg circumstanc, <i>they might kiss you</i>.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In other ways, ’s ls so. O’Flaherty will never kiss you, men. But led up next to the other 51 nttants, she will be distguishable appearance om the rt of the long-limbed, long-haired creatur on stage. (It’s wonrful for the pageant to reveal that a betiful woman might also be a lbian; would be more so if one day revealed that a non-betiful woman might also be servg of a crown.)</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“When I first me out, I heard a lot of, ‘Oh, but you’re feme, don’t make any sense,’ ” O’Flaherty says. She wants to dispel any remag myths that all lbians look or act a certa way, she says.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">All week long, the nttants have been petg prelimary petns such as eveng gown and talent and “Liftyle and Fns Swimsu” — a tegory tle that sounds like a still life created at a YMCA patg class — and personal terviews wh the judg. O’Flaherty didn’t w the swimsu or talent ntts — the two highly fluential prelimari that announce s victors before the big show — and will not learn until Sunday whether she advanc to the fal 15.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But cidg to beg petg pageants “is the bt cisn I’ve ever ma,” O’Flaherty says. “Really, I’m havg a blast. We’re all havg so much fun.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null"><i>An earlier versn of this story misspelled the name of the first Miss Ameri. She was Margaret Gorman.</i></p></div><div class="wpds-c-ipATMk wpds-c-ipATMk-hCiGAB-removeMobileStyl-te"><div class="wpds-c-dhzjXW wpds-c-dhzjXW-iPJLV-css overriStyl mt-md tt"><div id="gift-share-end" data-ttid="gift-share-end" class="PJLV PJLV-idiqKOk-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-iIVoLq-placement-Shortcut foc-highlight"><div class="wpds-c-UazGY" id="gift-share-shortcut" data-ttid="gift-share-shortcut"><svg xmlns=" fill="var(--wpds-lors-primary)" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fVfumU "><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg><div class="PJLV wpds-c-kwcHlj">Share</div></div></button></div><div class="wpds-c-hcekgi"><div class="mb-lg-mod" data-qa="ments-btn-div"><button aria-label="Scroll to the ments sectn" data-qa="ments-btn" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-SQjOY-variant-sendary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-nsy-flt wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-in-left wpds-c-kSOqLF-igqYgPb-css ments hi-for-prt"><svg xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp "><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg><span></span> Comments</button></div></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css"><div></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css"><div></div></div><sectn class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css dn-ns hi-for-prt" data-ttid="mostRead" subscriptns-sectn="ntent"><div data-ttid="lazy-most-read-parent" class=""><div style="m-height:800px"></div></div></sectn><div class="PJLV PJLV-ickXkbz-css"><div data-qa="newsletter" class="hi-for-prt relative"><div class="dib w-100"><div><div class="flex jtify-center align self-center center transn-all duratn-400 ease--out" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup" aria-label=""><svg aria-labelledby="react-aria-1-aria" role="img" viewBox="0 0 100 80"><tle id="react-aria-1-aria">Loadg... .

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