November 2015 "Kyla's Kazoo" and MGMA Board Newsletter

Greetings everyone,

I hope this letter finds everyone well, and that we are swiftly putting plans together for the state competition in April.

October was a very busy month for me, as we had the national Miss Gay America competition coupled with a city preliminary in Saint Louis, Missouri. I must say I extremely enjoyed myself this year at nationals! This was my second go-around at the national level, and the team that I assembled with executing the week long events was second to none. As we surpassed each category, I was happy and content with what I placed on the stage and in front of the judges. Although the outcome was not in my favor, I was very pleased to see the talents of Asia O’Hara realize her dream as the next Miss Gay America. She provided a wonderful presence onstage all week long, and I cannot wait to see her entertain us throughout this coming year!

As well as competing at the national pageant, I also got to take part in the Miss Gay Saint Louis pageant that is promoted by Jade Sinclair. Witnessing the history of this pageant in action throughout the evening’s events was a very eye-opening experience! It was so great to see so many formers come together and offer their talents and active participation this year in what is a preliminary with a very rich history. Upon the registration hour, we had 3 lovely contestants check-in to throw their hats in the ring to become the successor to Melissa Marnier. While only one was able to capture that victory, it was a great contest to watch with lots of variety. At the end of the evening, Nadia M. Louis was crowned as the 2016 Miss Gay Saint Louis and Bella Rose claimed her ticket as the first alternate. Both of these individuals are now on their way to compete at the state level in early April. Congratulations!

I want to take a timeout during this newsletter to focus on a word that is predominant in the world of pageantry, and that word is “critique”. When entering a pageant, we must keep in mind that we are employing the opinion of a panel of qualified analysts to observe what we do and offer their opinion on what it is that we have presented. When we ask the judges for their thoughts, it is their duty to evaluate our resume in a detailed and analytical manner. At the end of the evening win, lose, or draw it is their collective opinion that results in the victory for one lucky individual. While it is not required that we implement everything that is provided during our critique sessions, it is highly recommended that when meeting with these individuals that we come in with an open mind. They are there to make us stronger in our craft, and even thought we may not agree with everything that is discussed what matters is that we listen, learn, and try to improve based upon the feedback that we have been provided.

Listed below are the 2 preliminaries that we have coming in the next month:

Saturday, November 7^th – Miss Gay Springfield, Missouri

Theme – 50 Shades of Pink; honoring the reigning Diva Coppafeel

Location – Springfield, MO, at the Ramada Oasis Hotel and Convention Center

Promoted by Vince Edwards and Autumn Holiday

Saturday, November 21^st – Miss Gay Northwest, Missouri

Theme –Grace and Glamour; honoring the reigning L’oreal

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Dustin Mathews and Bianca Bliss (Patrick Hall)

Keep in mind I am only a phone call away! I hope everyone has a great November and takes some time out of their day to day routine to enjoy time with their loved ones. Have a great Thanksgiving, and I will be back in another month corseted up and 7 pounds heavier!

Sounding Off For November,

Kyla Breeze,

MGMA 2015

Hello Miss Gay Missouri Family,

I would like to introduce myself- Steve Hurley, the newest Board Member of the Miss Gay Missouri America System. I come to you from Lees Summit, Missouri, a suburb of the greater Kansas City metropolis.  No stranger to the Miss Gay Missouri Pageantry system, I have nearly 25 years experience working in and around Miss Gay Missouri; from judging, backstage, props, contestant backup, and even co-owned a few pageants back in the day.  I feel very well rounded by having this experience under my belt. 

As a new member, I have already witnessed many life changing events that have impacted friends, contestants, and how the America system works behind the scenes.  I feel honored and humbled to be a part of this Missouri family.  The wonderful people that make up this board, validate the name ‘Team’.  Oh yes, we all have differences and our own little quirks, but doesn’t every family?  But we have one goal in mind.  And that is to do our very best to uphold our responsibilities for the betterment of the Miss Gay Missouri America system.  This is why I am proud to be a part of this family.

I would like to congratulate Miss Asia T. O’Hara, from Dallas, Texas, as our new Miss Gay America. Wishing her a wonderful and rewarding experience during her reign.

We had a wonderful pageant this past weekend in St Louis. Promoted by Jade Sinclair and hosted by The Grey Fox, Nadia M. Louis won the title of Miss Gay St Louis 2016.  Bella Rose came in as First Alternate to Nadia.  We look forward to seeing these two ladies next April, competing again, for the Miss Gay Missouri America title.

Upcoming pageants are:

            Saturday, November 7^th - Miss Gay Springfield, Missouri 

Promoted by Vince Edwards and Autum Holiday, and hosted at the Ramada Oasis Hotel

Saturday, November 21^st– Miss Gay Northwest, Missouri

Promoted by Dustin Mathews and Bianca Bliss (Patrick Hall).  Location to be announced

As fall quickly approaches, and the holidays are upon us, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow board members, promoters, and the many acquaintances, for their acceptance and friendships they have shown me.  Looking forward to many more pageants and working together to achieve a thriving Miss Gay Missouri America.

MGMA Board and Alumni

October 2015 "Kyla's Kazoo" and MGMA Board Newsletter

Hello Miss Gay Missouri Family,

Summer is officially over and fall is off to a beautiful cool start. It’s hard to believe six months have gone by for Miss Gay Missouri Amercia Kyla Breeze, what an amazing job she is doing. 

We recently added four more contestants to the group that will be competing next year. On Saturday, September 19 in St Joe, Mo. Vivian Versace captured the title of Miss Metropolitan and Mulan, first alternate. Both girls were amazing in all categories with only 14 points between them. On Saturday, September 26 in St. Louis Mo. Allessandra Blaze captured the title of Miss Gateway and Crystal Lace, first alternate. There were five - yes that’s right - five contestants competing for that title. What a turn out that was!

Thanks to the promoters and the judges for those pageants you are all amazing! Thanks for your time and support of the America system and Miss Gay Missouri. We have three more prelims before the end of the year, so don’t waste time, and get your ticket now. Trust us, you'll have more time to prepare for MGMA 2016 in April. Coming up:

October 24^th St. Louis Mo. - Miss St. Louis at the Grey Fox

November 7^th Springfield, Mo. - Miss Springfield at the Ramada Oasis Hotel

November 24^th St. Joe, Mo. - Miss Northwest location to be announced

Next year in 2016:

January 16^th Heart of Missouri

March 12^th Spirit of St Louis

Miss Kansas City (to be announced)

Before we say good bye, we want to wish Kyla Breeze, MGMA 2015 and L’Oréal, first alternate the best of luck at Miss Gay America in Memphis Tenn. Competition begins on Wednesday, October 14 with final night on October 11. So come on down and show your support for our Missouri girls we know they will make us proud! Also we can’t forget Adria Andrews and Christa Collins who will also be competing for the title, The Missouri girls are out to show what the “Show Me State” really means. Best of luck to you all from your Missouri Sisters, Friends and Family.

See you in Memphis

MGMA Board and Alumni

September 2015 "Kyla's Kazoo" and MGMA Board Newsletter

Greetings everyone,

August has come and gone, and with that we are one month closer to this year’s Miss Gay America pageant! L’oreal and I have had the privilege of gaining the support of people from border to border in our state, and my list of sponsors that is to be read during the Evening Gown category continues to grow. It truly takes a village, and I am overwhelmed with all the outreach and people that have simply touched base passing on their words of wisdom that are putting my mindset right together!

August was a busy month filled with bonding opportunity after bonding opportunity. The first weekend in August I traveled down to Saint Louis with one of our board members, Ricky McRoy, behind the wheel. When I tell you that I have never traveled so fast before on land, I mean it… If you are ever in a pinch and need to get from Saint Louis to Kansas City in 40 minutes flat, he’s the person to call! We arrived in Saint Louis during the afternoon, where I had the honor of overseeing a Promoter’s Meeting that was organized with some of the best our state has to offer. The luncheon and open forum that was provided was very constructive and led to opportunities of growth in friendship and sisterhood. That evening, Jade Sinclair organized a benefit that has assisted with covering costs for Memphis, Tennessee. Having Promoters come together from across the state to support me in my quest to become the next Miss Gay America was very touching. The familiar faces that were dispersed across the audience - from board members, promoters from other states, and contestants/sisters that I have previous competition history with - was so exciting to see!

The weekend of August 15th led me to travel back to one of my favorite cities to perform in, Saint Joseph, Missouri! The crowd that Saint Joseph offers month after month will always have a special place in my heart, and this show was no different. While the night was quite interesting - tossing technical difficulty after technical difficulty the entertainers’ ways - the audience continued to be engaged with excitement that the show must go on! This evening will HOPEFULLY be one for the history books, as I doubt it can be replicated… let’s keep our fingers crossed!

The last weekend in August I traveled back to Saint Louis where I special guested in the Miss Gay Midwest Regional pageant where two lucky contestants received some of the last tickets that this year of pageantry has to offer for the big national dance!  Upon arrival at the pageant, I was greeted by some of my favorite sisters in the dressing room. It felt like home having multiple former Miss Gay Missouri’s to share the dressing room with. Sharing the room with Melinda Ryder, Vicki Valentino, Kathy Klein, Jade Sinclair and Christa Collins (while feeling like packed sardines) will be yet another memory that goes in the books for me! We hooted, bumped elbows, giggled at silly banter, assisted each other with costume changes, and put on one heck of a show as we celebrated Vicki’s last steps as the reigning Miss Gay Midwest. At the end of the evening, it was Adria Andrews who was crowned (yet another former Miss Gay Missouri), and it was quite an honor to see her in this shining moment!

Preliminaries for Miss Gay Missouri 2016 are fast approaching, and I yet again recommend that everyone get their tickets as soon as possible! This coming month we have two preliminaries, and over the next three months we have a total of FIVE preliminaries! 

Procrastination is a thing of the past, and in order to be your best you must take advantage of the present. While sometimes things can seem comfortable, I highly encourage all of you to make the most of every minute and challenge that comfort-ability. With each minute that passes in procrastination, there goes a minute that we could soon regret as we get near the hustle and bustle of what could turn into last-minute preparations. Listed below is our full schedule of preliminaries for the coming year. Please make note and make your plans to return accordingly. 

Saturday, September 19th – Miss Gay Metropolitan, Missouri 

Theme – Singing in the Reign; honoring the reigning Kyla Breeze

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Daniel Flier and Kyla Breeze

Saturday, September 26th – Miss Gay Gateway, Missouri 

Theme – Planet Soul; honoring the reigning Musica Malone

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Karma Kassidy (Greg Coleman) and Lola Vergara (Luis Acevedo)

Saturday, October 24th – Miss Gay Saint Louis, Missouri 

Theme – Heaven of Hell; honoring the reigning Melissa Marnier

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Jade Sinclair (Michael Klataske)

Saturday, November 7th – Miss Gay Springfield, Missouri

Theme – 50 Shades of Pink; honoring the reigning Diva Coppafeel

Location – Springfield, MO, at the Ramada Oasis Hotel and Convention Center

Promoted by Vince Edwards and Autumn Holiday

Saturday, November 21st – Miss Gay Northwest, Missouri

Theme –Grace and Glamour; honoring the reigning L’oreal

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Dustin Mathews and Bianca Bliss (Patrick Hall)

Saturday, January 16th - Miss Gay Heart of Missouri

Theme – To Be Announced; honoring the reigning Destiny Michelle

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Amanda Lay

Saturday, March 12th – Miss Spirit of Saint Louis, Missouri 

Theme – A Night in Olympus - Goddesses; honoring the reigning Cierra St. James-Monet

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Rolanda Devereux (Orlando Burton)

TBD – Miss Gay Kansas City, Missouri

Theme – Welcome to the Jungle; honoring the reigning Moltyn Decadence

Location – Kansas City, MO at Missie B’s

Promoted by L’Oreal (Jeff Hickman) and Valari Knyte (Grover Vermillion)

Please remember, I am just a phone call away. If at any time you have a question or need a sounding board I AM HERE FOR YOU! I am so excited to see what all of you plan to bring this year, and if there is anything I can do provide a peace of mind please reach out! 

Sounding Off For September, 

Kyla Breeze, 

MGMA 2015

Dear Friends,

Where has the summer gone?  I always look forward to this time of year, when the weather cools and Miss Gay America approaches!  As a young competitor I was always focused on Miss Gay Missouri and its local preliminaries.  My initial goal was to capture the title of Miss Gay Missouri and then retire from pageantry.  I respected and appreciated Miss Gay America - but it wasn't my dream.  On a whim, I attended final night of Miss Gay America in 2006 as a spectator and it fueled my fire to win MGM.  I attended MGA again in 2008 as a competitor (representing Missouri).  I was very quiet and kept to myself.  As a result, I denied myself the full experience.  Miss Gay America isn't just about competition, it's also about building relationships.  After returning home, I felt I could do better.  I wanted to go back and prove myself.  I qualified and returned again in 2009, finishing 7th overall.  I was beyond excited.  This made me wonder if MGA was possible?  

So why mention MGA in a newsletter geared for MGM?  In part because we learn from experience.  And with MGA being so close to our state (Memphis, Tenn. in October), I wanted to encourage hopeful future MGM's to take the time to attend the pageant and learn more about the system.  The Miss Gay America system teaches it's followers ways to improve your craft - pay close attention to detail, take time to make sure you are 100% ready for each of the five categories.  Experience attending or participating in MGA will make you a stronger competitor for Miss Gay Missouri.  At the national level, you can see how our craft is different in other areas of the country, and you can learn from those with very different ideas.

Of course, attending is also the chance to cheer on our Missouri contingent (Kyla and L'Oreal) and those who qualified through regional contests (Adria and Christa)! One of our residents could be the next Miss Gay America! They may also need help with props, and you can make a difference to them by being there!  Competition aside, it is a great networking opportunity.  I look forward to attending this year and seeing "sisters" and friends that I have not seen since last year.

Locally, our city prelims have begun, and more are just around the corner.  MGM is very much a mini-MGA!  If you want to succeed, take the time to experience the system.  Attend other pageants and see what other people are doing.  Learn from those across our state. Watch Kyla Breeze (our reigning symbol of excellence) so that YOU know the job and can prepare yourself to assume the responsibilities.  Don't be afraid to say hello to others and build connections.  

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and enjoy the beautiful weather before Winter sets in.

Jade Sinclair/Michael Klataske

MGMA 2007 

July/August 2015 "Kyla's Kazoo" and MGMA Board Newsletter

Greetings everyone,

I hope the month of July was filled with lots of barbecues, family time, and sunshine galore! 

This month I really want to highlight something that really rang true for me over this last competition year and has been a constant for the month of July… and that is the idea of a “support system”. The past few months have led my life in a very different direction, and without the love, support, and presence of some of my closest and newest friends… a lot of these days would have been a tad bit darker. I want to thank each and every one of you who have been there, have reached out for small text conversations, and who have ensured that I am doing what needs to be done to make me a better individual. I would say I am a very strong individual, but your support really has assisted me with easing through this difficult time in my life. 

While the month of July was not heavy with performances, I am back in the swing of things for August! Below is a list of locations where you can find me from border to border:

Saturday, August 8th – The Grey Fox in Saint Louis for the MGMA Promoters Retreat, starting at 7PM  (a great opportunity to spend time with Promoters across the state and gain face-time that will certainly benefit you in choosing which preliminary is strongest suited for your needs.)

Saturday, August 15th – Headquarter Nightclub in Saint Joseph for a joint benefit for myself and L’oreal to assist with our preparations and funding for Miss Gay America.

Saturday, August 22nd – Special Entertainment at Miss Gay Midwest, America promoted by Michael Rhinehart at R-Bar in Saint Louis. For any contestants interested in competing at the National level and gaining exposure and experience that will do you wonders when bringing it back to our state level, I would strongly encourage you in placing this regional on your radar!

Preliminaries are just leaps and bounds ahead! I have highlighted a few of the upcoming ones that would allow you to grab an early ticket and spend more time preparing for the state level:

Saturday, September 19th – Miss Gay Metropolitan, Missouri 

Theme – Singing in the Reign; honoring the reigning Kyla Breeze

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Daniel Flier and Kyla Breeze

Saturday, September 26th – Miss Gay Gateway, Missouri 

Theme – Planet Soul; honoring the reigning Musica Malone

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Karma Kassidy (Greg Coleman) and Lola Vergara (Luis Acevedo)

Saturday, October 24th – Miss Gay Saint Louis, Missouri 

Theme – Heaven of Hell; honoring the reigning Melissa Marnier

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Jade Sinclair (Michael Klataske)

In preparing yourself for whichever preliminary you decide, be sure to ask yourself: Am I providing myself with a SOUND support system? Are the members of the team I have assembled equipped to provide me with the comfort, the strength, and the stress free nights needed in order for me to present myself best across all categories of the competition? 

Sounding Off, 

Kyla Breeze, 

MGMA 2015

Dear Friends,

It hard to believe that 7 years ago, July 27th, my dream of being Miss Gay Missouri came true, after fighting for something I believed in for 5 years.  It meant the world to me to capture the crowned that night. No one can understand what the moment will mean to you, how you will feel. I can say it felt amazing to hear my name after 5 years of competition. NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM!!!!

It starts with believing in yourself. This was an issue with me even -when competing at MGA. Going up against girls I admire and look up to...  it was hard for me to believe I was at their level, or was able to accomplish what they did, or present at the level of competition. It was people around me who believed in me and started to instill the confidence in me that I was just as good, and could be better than those before me and who I compete against. YOU MUST BELIVE IN YOUR PACKAGE AND WHAT YOUR PRESENT. Your peers and friends can tell what they love and think about your package, but if it's not in your heat then you should not present it, the judges will be able to see that about you!    

It can often be hard to believe in yourself, especially if you feel like you have nothing to offer or are unworthy of things. But you are worthy and you are capable. If you're having trouble seeing all the amazing things about you, there are simple things that you can do to start believing in yourself. You can take stock of what you have accomplished and set goals, you can make new friends and look for opportunities to use your skills, or you can take good care of yourself to build your confidence.

Make a list of your past accomplishments. Writing out a list of your accomplishments will help you begin to believe in yourself. Sit down and make a list of all of the things that you feel you have excelled at during some point in your life. Include even the most minor activities.

Talk to people who love you. If you're really having trouble seeing all the wonderful things about yourself, you can always talk to someone who loves you. Sometimes we have difficulty seeing the best things about ourselves, but the people who really love us will never struggle to see those things.

Find a cause that you believe in. It may be difficult to believe in yourself if you are constantly trying to please others. Make sure that you look for causes and projects that appeal to you and that you truly believe in. The passion you feel for these causes and projects will help you to work harder and see how much you can achieve.

Set realistic goals. Setting realistic goals will help you to believe in yourself and your ability to accomplish things. Make sure that you develop goals that are in line with your skills and that are attainable. For example, if you have decided that you want to work towards a long-term goal of becoming Miss Gay Missouri, start by setting a small attainable goal of applying to make the top 10 or five it's your first year, you can move on to another small, attainable goal that helps to get you closer to your long-term goal.

Be persistent. Sometimes we feel like giving up because failure is a possibility, but it’s perfectly natural to struggle with something the first time you do it. Instead of blaming yourself for doing something wrong, give yourself permission to experiment without worrying about the consequences. Some of the most successful innovators have found that improvisation requires a sort of “playful” mindset as opposed to one that is fixated on a single goal.

BELIEVE IN YOUSELF!!!

LADIES!!! garb your tickets early don't wait till the last minute.

Saturday, September 19th – Miss Gay Metropolitan, Missouri

Theme – Singing in the Reign; honoring the reigning Kyla Breeze

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Daniel Flier and Kyla Breeze (MGM 2015)

Saturday, September 26th – Miss Gay Gateway, Missouri

Theme – Planet Soul; honoring the reigning Musica Malone

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Karma Kassidy (Greg Coleman) and Lola Vergara (Luis Acevedo)

Saturday, November  21st – Miss Gay Northwest, Missouri

Theme – Grace and Glamour; honoring the reigning L’oreal

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Dustin Mathews and Patrick Hall (Bianca Bliss) 

Saturday, October 24th – Miss Gay Saint Louis, Missouri

Theme – Heaven of Hell; honoring the reigning Melissa Marnier

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Jade Sinclair (Michael Klataske)

Saturday, March 12th – Miss Spirit of Saint Louis, Missouri

Theme – A Night in Olympus - Goddesses; honoring the reigning Cierra St. James-Monet

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Rolanda Devereux (Orlando Burton)

Thank you so much for you constant love and support for the Miss Gay Missouri America Pageant. Without it none of this would be possible.

Ricky McRoy/ Sparkle Iman 

MGM 2008

June/July 2015 "Kyla's Kazoo" and MGMA Board Newsletter

Greetings everyone,

I hope the month of June was filled with Pride in our communities from border to border! While there were no city preliminaries during the previous month, my schedule was still that of a travelling business woman. During June I had the privilege in participating in 4 different city Pride events, and I must say that even though I was in different communities, the love that was felt within each area was all the same. It was great to see everyone come together and celebrate our commonalities and differences within our communities!

The first weekend in June I road-tripped it to Saint Louis, Missouri with one of my local gal pals, Vivian Versace. Upon arriving in Saint Louis, we met up with our keepers for the weekend: Lola Vergara and Karma Cassidy. They opened their homes to us like we were lifelong sisters, and I must say the hospitality was overwhelming!Along with the open arms and warm welcome, we were also greeted with 2 of the most adorable and rambunctious puppies in the world. It was a pleasure performing next to a lovely cast back to back nights at the Grey Fox to roll in the month of Pride festivities!

The second weekend in June was fulfilled with a quick little trip down the road to Springfield, Missouri. After getting into town, I had the privilege of going out to lunch with the promoters of Miss Gay Springfield (Autumn Holiday and Vince Edwards), the reigning Miss Gay Illinois (Akasha Royale), Ruby Diamond, Victoria Rose, and a slew of other Springfield locals. That evening we put on a very entertaining show at Touche Nightclub, and to this point I still have not determined if I had more fun backstage or onstage as the hilarities ensued ALLL night long! The second day in Springfield started with the Registration for the Ozarks Pride Pageant where we had 11 lovely contestants. It was a long and eventful day, and it was truly touching to witness Ruby Diamond and all the passion she has for her community as she took her last steps as the reigning Queen of Ozarks Pride. During the events I was also surprised by Ruby, with the assistance of the Pride committee, putting together 50/50 raffles for the charity I have chosen during my reign. I will be forever grateful for being allowed to take part in a pageant that a community holds so near and dear to their hearts!

The weekend of June 19th will be one for the books! Friday evening I hit the road to Saint Joseph, MO with my Kansas sister, Indigo Blaque. We arrived, checked into our hotel a night early, and enjoyed an evening of masculinity! Our hotel was about 5 blocks from the Pride festival, so Friday evening we took a stroll up to the event to check it out after we grabbed a delicious bite to eat at Ground Round Grill and Bar. After enjoying some music by the mainstage DJ we headed back to the hotel for an early night to prepare for the events that were scheduled to take place the next morning. Rise and Shine! It was time to put on some makeup at 9AM, so we could hop in our corvette and ride in the city parade. It was a very refreshing 90 degrees outside, but we were not going to let that stop us! There were lots of locals that braved the heat and cheered us on as we made our way down Felix Street, and I was pleased with seeing lots of familiar faces. After the parade we made our way back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool prior to getting all dolled up again for the show that night that took place on the mainstage at Coleman Hawkins Park. The show was comprised by some of my favorite sisters, and even though it was in the dead of the heat we made the most of it. Christa Collins, Vivian Versace, Priscilla, and L’oreal all knocked the socks off the Saint Joseph community that came out to support the show. I am always in awe of the amount of straight allies that are in attendance at all of Saint Joseph’s events, and the community would not be the same without them!

Preliminaries are fast approaching, and below I have highlighted our two upcoming... If you have any questions or interest in any of our preliminaries do not hesitate to reach out!

Saturday, September 19th – Miss Gay Metropolitan, Missouri 

Theme – Singing in the Reign; honoring the reigning Kyla Breeze

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Daniel Flier and Kyla Breeze

Saturday, September 26th – Miss Gay Gateway, Missouri 

Theme – Planet Soul; honoring the reigning Musica Malone

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Karma Kassidy (Greg Coleman) and Lola Vergara (Luis Acevedo)

Have a safe and fantastic Independence Day!

Sounding Off, 

Kyla Breeze, 

MGMA 2015

Hello friends and family of MGMA,

Pride month has come to a close and hope you all had a BANG of great 4TH of July. Let us start off by saying what a pride month we had across this great land that we call the United States of America. Celebrations were big and small as we came together to stand united as one to show that our rights matter and we will not go quiet into the night or back into the closet. As June came to a close we got to witness history in the making with the Supreme Court ruling that Gay and Lesbian couples have the right to get married throughout the country. This date will forever have a place in history as one of the greatest accomplishments within in our lifetime.

Though the Supreme Court ruled on June 26 that gay and lesbian couples have a constitutional right to wed, some opponents – including presidential candidates – still haven’t heard the fat drag queen sing.I came across this letter below and it touched me personally as I am a Christian and believe we all have the right to believe how we want to believe and believe in what we want to believe. I felt this letter said it perfectly to those that still want to try to hold us down. So here it is:

I want to start by saying that I am a Christian. I always have been and always will be... and I'm also a gay woman who is happily married to a beautiful British Woman named Megan. Since the recent Supreme Court ruling of legalizing same-sex marriages in the United States, I have seen the ugly and the uglier come out in people I never expected. Having moved to live with my wife in the UK, I find myself in awe at the complete and utter ignorance that has been clogging up my news feed and other social media outlets in the past few days from my so-called American friends back in the South. It's important to state that I'm not generalizing all, as I've also seen a positive response from those Christian in the South; even including support from an amazing pastor. However, it saddens me that amongst the many rainbow-colored pictures on my feed, there is also a great deal of hatred.

What I don't understand is quite simply, this: why does gay marriage bother people so much? If you are making an unnecessary palava because you're offended by gay marriage then you seriously need to look at your own life and educate yourselves a bit. If the sole reason you feel that gay marriage is wrong because it's a sin, and the Bible tells you this is wrong, then I sure as hell hope you don't have bacon with your eggs or indulge in shrimp. Oh, or better yet, do you have any tattoos? Ever been drunk, told a white lie or been divorced? Yep, whoops. Those are all sins, too. And all sins are equal, right? I don't see anyone going off the handle because of any of these 'sins' and I most certainly don't see protests or hurtful propaganda against those. Just because you disagree with something -- and we all have the right to do so -- it is an absolute disgrace to treat the LGBT community the way you do. What if we treated all sins in this way? Bacon eaters would be doomed.

Therefore, if gay marriage or 'homosexuality' doesn't affect you personally in the way you live your life in any way, why do you feel the need to even get involved? Why worry about something that is, frankly, none of your business? For instance, I'm not divorced, but many people I know are, and I'm not going to judge them. We shouldn't judge anyone for the way they live their life. If you don't agree with gay marriage, then don't have a gay wedding. Simple. 

I know what you must be thinking. If the LGBT community can protest and stand up for their rights, then why can't Christians? They have every right to stand up for what they believe in also... To a degree, yes. Christianity and gay rights will always butt-heads. Luckily, we have the Equality Act 2010 in the UK, where we've seen it in the favor of gay rights; e.g. where a gay couple were wrongly turned away from a B&B due to the owner’s Christian views, to in favor of Christianity; e.g. the nurse who was wrongly fired for telling her lesbian colleague she's committing a sin. I don't expect the battles to ever fully cease, but choose your battles wisely. Is this really worth your time? Could your time not be better spent with showing kindness and acceptance -- isn't that what being a Christian is truly about, rather than showing hatred? It is not your duty to judge and tell others how to live theirs to ensure your angelic conscious is clear. However, it does change the lives of the LGBT community and gives us freedom and the same rights as anyone else. This means that now my wife and I, if we ever decide to move back to the U.S., can do this freely and can move to any state. Your hatred towards this is unjust and unfair and don't even try to the quote the Bible at me; you may want to actually read it first.

To all of the haters, how would you feel if your rights were completely stripped from you because you had a divorce or because you had a baby out of wedlock, for instance? How would you like someone judging and telling you that you're going to hell because of this?

As a Christian, I wholeheartedly believe that God does not make mistakes and he would not have accidentally made millions of people (and animals) gay by chance. We are all who we are for a reason and no one should ever make you feel bad for that. If anything, my relationship with God is better than ever, and I know that I am definitely not going to hell or that my lifestyle is wrong. It's important for people to know that you can be a Christian and gay. You do not have to choose one or the other. We need more people like Christian singer Vicky Beeching, who came out as a lesbian last year, to look up to as role models.

So, my dear fellow Christians, from one Christian to another, please mind your own business and PLEASE make sure that your hands are clean before you point your finger at me and my community. Amen.

-Whitney Kay Bacon

Very well said and may we as a community remember to love everyone even those that hate us let’s not come down to the level of their ignorance we are better, stronger, wiser, and gayer/happier than they are.

We are getting closer to our pageant season taking off like gang busters, for those that want that early ticket get in before the first of the year (there are 5 prelims) so you have time to prepare and get the time off from work and get your funds together. Don’t wait, MGMA will be here before we all know it and we don’t want anyone to be left out. Here are all the prelims scheduled to date.

TBA – Miss Gay Kansas City, Missouri

Theme – Welcome to the Jungle; honoring the reigning Moltyn Decadence

Location – Kansas City, MO, at Missie B’s

Promoted by L’oreal (Jeff Hickman) and Valari Knyte (Grover Vermillion)

Saturday, September 19th – Miss Gay Metropolitan, Missouri

Theme – Singing in the Reign; honoring the reigning Kyla Breeze

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Daniel Flier and Kyla Breeze

Saturday, September 26th – Miss Gay Gateway, Missouri

Theme – Planet Soul; honoring the reigning Musica Malone

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Karma Kassidy (Greg Coleman) and Lola Vergara (Luis Acevedo)

Saturday, October 17th – Miss Gay Northwest, Missouri

Theme – Grace and Glamour; honoring the reigning L’oreal

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Dustin Mathews and Patrick Hall (Bianca Bliss) 

Saturday, October 24th – Miss Gay Saint Louis, Missouri

Theme – Heaven of Hell; honoring the reigning Melissa Marnier

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Jade Sinclair (Michael Klataske)

Saturday, March 12th – Miss Spirit of Saint Louis, Missouri

Theme – A Night in Olympus - Goddesses; honoring the reigning Cierra St. James-Monet

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Rolanda Devereux (Orlando Burton)

Also this month we welcomed a new board member to our group. Steven Hurley has stepped up to help in the development of MGMA. He has helped over the past five years with Missouri in props, backdrops, set up and tear down, working backstage in all areas, judging of prelims and judging MGM. He has also served as a promoter in the America System with Miss Gay Pride Kansas City. He will bring new ideas to our group and we look forward to working with him. Look for his newsletter coming soon and look for him at the prelims and welcome him to our family as we have.

In closing, thanks to everyone for all of your support Of MGMA, we would not have all of this pageantry if you were not part of it. A big “THANK YOU!” See you all soon.

MGMA BOARD

May/June 2015 Kyla's Kazoo and MGMA Board Newsletter

Greetings everyone,

What a fantastic first month of being Miss Gay Missouri!! One thing that I have already learned through this process is that regardless of how this title is approached, it truly is a job! I often find myself taking things home with me from my regular job/career, and being Miss Gay Missouri has that same nature. There is always something that can be done, and in order to make this organization run seamlessly you must seize every opportunity to make the most of it! 

My first appearance as Miss Gay Missouri was such a wonderful experience. I joined the regular cast of the Dirty Game Show at Missie B’s with the comedic talents of Renica, my forever sister Tajma Stetson, and the always witty and never bashful Bernadette. That evening will forever be special to me as all three of these individuals are people that I have varied history with. I was introduced to Renica back in the good ole’ days, sometime in 2007,when I had a weekly show I hosted at Sidekicks Saloon. Every Wednesday we played Bingo with a very intimate crowd, and the bar invited local talent to come showcase what they had to offer in an effort to muster up a paid booking in our weekly Friday show. Renica entered one of the Talent evenings, and from that moment on I have admired her comedic and goofy banter that she ALWAYS has in store for the dressing room. Tajma Stetson and I were introduced around that same time, just a few months after she moved to Missouri from the great state of Michigan. She quickly made a name for herself within Kansas City as she was a ball of energy and brought a new definition to the word “poised” within our drag community. Like Renica, she was always a pleasure to work with! Bernadette and I have very similar history, but the one thing that I have always admired about her is that she has a stick-tuitiveness. She has a unique approach to female impersonation and has grown to be a staple within the Missie B’s and Kansas City drag family. Surrounding myself with these 3 very unique and professional personalities in my first gig as Miss Gay Missouri was a delight, and I cannot wait to be around them again for the Dirty Game Show’s Pride fundraiser on Wednesday, June 3rd. 

Moltyn Decadence, Miss River City 2016

Our first preliminary also took place during the month of May in Hannibal, Missouri. During the weekend’s events, I grew much closer to Moltyn Decadence and Kyra Banks they put their best foot forward in trying to capture the title of Miss Gay River City, Missouri. It was a pleasure sharing a dressing room with both contestants, and it was so wonderful seeing them work closely together always willing to lend a helping hand to one another even though they were considered eachother’s competition, withboth being within the top 10 placement at the 2015 state competition the month prior. Jade Sinclair ran a very smooth pageant (in ALMOST less than 2 hours), and Nadia M. Louis was absolutely stunning in her performances the final evening of her reign. At the end of the evening it was a pleasure to crown Moltyn Decadence as the winner of the preliminary, with both contenders capturing their tickets to the state competition next April. It was a splendid evening of pageantry, and it was great seeing representation from nearly every major city in our audience. While the pageant had a quick conclusion, the evening’s events continued with some FABULOUSLY hysterical karaoke. The owners that are so kind to allow us to house the River City pageant at their venue showed us a great time after the event by providing a karaoke machine that brought out the best in everyone!

Our next preliminary will be housed right here in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. I would strongly recommend any contestant that is having thoughts about entering Miss Gay Kansas City to reach out to myself or one of the promoters. Jeff Hickman and Grover Vermillion always put on a fantastic pageant and have great representation at the state level. If you are looking for promoters who know what they are doing and have a strong sense of what this system is about I would encourage you in taking a moment to pick their brains. Their knowledge and expertise will speak for themselves in even the briefest of conversations!

As we head into June, I want to take a moment out of my newsletter to wish everyone a wonderful month filled with Pride. This month gives us a moment to celebrate where we have come from, where we currently are, and what we plan on becoming within our very diverse community. Take this moment to present the best YOU!!! During the month of June I have the privilege in performing across the state in three different Pride festivals, and I am excited to celebrate our diversities and similarities as we band together to present the best US! You can catch me in Springfield, Missouri on June 13th and 14th at Touche Nightclub, in Saint Joseph, Missouri on June 20th in the Pride Parade and on the mainstage at Coleman Hawkins Park, and in Saint Louis, Missouri on June 26th and 27th at the Grey Fox! If you see me out and about please come say HI!!!

We also have established details for two more preliminaries, putting us at an overall count of nine preliminaries scheduled. Listed below are the eight preliminaries that have yet to occur:

Saturday, July 25th – Miss Gay Kansas City, Missouri 

Theme – Welcome to the Jungle; honoring the reigning Moltyn Decadence

Location – Kansas City, MO, at Missie B’s

Promoted by L’oreal (Jeff Hickman) and ValariKnyte (Grover Vermillion)

Saturday, September 19th – Miss Gay Metropolitan, Missouri 

Theme – Singing in the Reign; honoring the reigning Kyla Breeze

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Daniel Flier and Kyla Breeze

Saturday, September 26th – Miss Gay Gateway, Missouri 

Theme – Planet Soul; honoring the reigning Musica Malone

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Karma Kassidy (Greg Coleman) and Lola Vergara (Luis Acevedo)

Saturday, October 17th – Miss Gay Northwest, Missouri 

Theme – Grace and Glamour; honoring the reigning L’oreal

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Dustin Mathews and Patrick Hall (Bianca Bliss) 

Saturday, October 24th – Miss Gay Saint Louis, Missouri 

Theme – Heaven of Hell; honoring the reigning Melissa Marnier

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Jade Sinclair (Michael Klataske)

Saturday, January 16th - Miss Gay Heart of Missouri

Theme – To Be Announced; honoring the reigning Destiny Michelle

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Amanda Lay

Saturday, March 12th – Miss Spirit of Saint Louis, Missouri 

Theme – A Night in Olympus - Goddesses; honoring the reigning Cierra St. James-Monet

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Rolanda Devereux (Orlando Burton)

Date TBA – Miss Gay Springfield, Missouri

Theme – 50 Shades of Pink; honoring the reigning Diva Coppafeel

Location – Springfield, MO, at the Ramada Oasis Hotel and Convention Center

Promoted by Vince Edwards and Autumn Holiday

Over the past month I have been in contact with a lot of you about this coming pageant season. I am thrilled to see the interest remain on behalf of the existing contestants, interests rekindled from previous years’ contestants, and interests sparked from new contestants. This is sure to be a great year, so get your tickets as early as feasibly possible!!!!

Sounding Off, 

Kyla Breeze, 

MGMA 2015

MGMA FRIENDS, 

Well here we are in spring and summer is just around the corner. Spring is always such a beautiful time of the year, trees and grass are green the flowers are in full bloom and giving off the amazing fragrances and new life is coming fourth. Congratulations to everyone who graduated this year from schools across the great state of Missouri and hope that your futures are bright and rewarding. May presented us with our very first preliminary for the 2016 pageant season and yes we are already off and running. Miss River City America was held in Hannibal Mo. over Memorial Day weekend with two contestants competing for the crown. Kyra Breeze was awarded the 1st alternate position and Moltyn Decadence was crowned Miss River City America 2016. Both Moltyn and Kyra have secured their spots at Miss Gay Missouri America 2016 that will once again be held in Kansas City, Mo. at the Arts Asylum on April 7th 8th and 9th, how excited we are to be returning to Kansas City for another year.

Kyla Breeze MGMA 2015 was absolutely amazing at Miss River City proving that she is ready to take the reins and lead us all into another year of success. Not only did she do her administrative requirements with ease but she showed amazing beauty, grace and dance ability during the pageant. Kyla’s feet are now wet so from here out she will only rise to all occasions as MGMA 2015 and prove not only was she ready to win but deserved to win. Several preliminaries are already scheduled so that everyone interested in competing next year can get their tickets, please do not wait till the last minute to secure a spot, get done early so that you have more time to prepare and work out all the little kinks. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Kyla Breeze, any board member or former MGMA for answers. Upcoming prelims are:

Saturday, July 25th – Miss Gay Kansas City, Missouri 

Theme – Welcome to the Jungle; honoring the reigning Moltyn Decadence

Location – Kansas City, MO, at Missie B’s

Promoted by L’oreal (Jeff Hickman) and ValariKnyte (Grover Vermillion)

Saturday, September 19th – Miss Gay Metropolitan, Missouri 

Theme – Singing in the Reign; honoring the reigning Kyla Breeze

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Daniel Flier and Kyla Breeze

Saturday, September 26th – Miss Gay Gateway, Missouri 

Theme – Planet Soul; honoring the reigning Musica Malone

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Karma Kassidy (Greg Coleman) and Lola Vergara (Luis Acevedo)

Saturday, October 17th – Miss Gay Northwest, Missouri 

Theme – Grace and Glamour; honoring the reigning L’oreal

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Dustin Mathews and Patrick Hall (Bianca Bliss) 

Saturday, October 24th – Miss Gay Saint Louis, Missouri 

Theme – Heaven of Hell; honoring the reigning Melissa Marnier

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Jade Sinclair (Michael Klataske)

Saturday, January 16th - Miss Gay Heart of Missouri

Theme – To Be Announced; honoring the reigning Destiny Michelle

Location – Saint Joseph, MO, at Headquarters Nightclub

Promoted by Amanda Lay

Saturday, March 12th – Miss Spirit of Saint Louis, Missouri 

Theme – A Night in Olympus - Goddesses; honoring the reigning Cierra St. James-Monet

Location – Saint Louis, MO, at the Grey Fox

Promoted by Rolanda Devereux (Orlando Burton)

Date TBA – Miss Gay Springfield, Missouri

Theme – 50 Shades of Pink; honoring the reigning Diva Coppafeel

Location – Springfield, MO, at the Ramada Oasis Hotel and Convention Center

Promoted by Vince Edwards and Autumn Holiday

As May comes to an end and we head into the month of June, Gay Pride month begins. With all of the topics in the news today we as the LGBT community have been picked on for a lot of things and have had things said about us that are not at all true. 

When he talked about race relations, Martin Luther King Jr. used to like to quote an old black minister: "Lord we ain't what we should be and we ain't what we gonna be, but thank God, we ain't what we was!" That particular minister was speaking of slavery, but the quote accurately points out, racially speaking, things could be--and have been--worse. We as the LBGT community still to this day face injustice and inequality. While I do not compare our struggle at all to that of our African American brother and sisters, we face many of the same struggles. Hatred, persecution, fired from jobs, denied employment and housing and refusal of services and entry in some business. On June 28th 1969 our fight for equal rights began with Stonewall. We as the LGBT community owe those pioneers of equality and freedom our respect and thanks, we can never forget the fight and struggles they endured. Remember as you celebrate your pride that we are being watched by those that want us to fail and keep us down and in the closet where they think we belong. Celebrate together with dignity, respect, acceptance, love, tolerance, forgiveness, hope and remembrance for yourself and others around you,be mindful of how you present yourself to those that judge us. It only takes one person to make us all look unfavorable. So as you all dance together, walk hand in hand together, show affection to one another and show your pride for being LGBT take a moment and thank everyone who helped us get to where we ae today. We as the LGBT community are strongest when we stand united as one for the equality for all. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay proud.

Emilio Olvera aka Lexsus Chaney

MGMA Board and Alumni