March 20, 2011
Philadelphia Crowned Host City for U.S. Mr. Gay Competition
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 2 MIN.
PHILADELPHIA, March, 2011 -The Noble Beast Foundation, in collaboration with the International Mr. Gay (IMG) Competition committee, has selected Philadelphia to host the U.S. Mr. Gay competition in November.� This is the second consecutive year that Philadelphia will welcome contestants from all over the country fighting to be named the new 2012 U.S. Mr. Gay titleholder.�
The competition is scheduled for November 11th and 12th.� As they did in 2010, the national committee enlisted Bruce Yelk's Nightlifegay.com - Philadelphia's premier LGBT event promotions company - to plan and execute the competition weekend.�
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Philadelphia raised the bar for the U.S. Mr. Gay Competition in 2010, which included a record - 22 contestants, several celebrity judges, including Michael Musto (Village Voice) and Mickey Boardman (Paper Magazine), and over 700 fans at the opening party and main event.�
After the dust settled, Mr. Columbia, South Carolina, Eddie Rabon, walked away with the title of 2011 U.S. Mr. Gay. �In addition to a rousing live competition, the jam-packed main event featured show-stopping drag productions, live vocal performances, and sidesplitting one-liners from hosts Frank DeCaro (Sirius OUT Q radio) and Brittany Lynn.�
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"Last year's competition far surpassed all expectations of the IMG committee," said Don Spradlin, founder and President of IMG.� "The City of Philadelphia is very accessible, friendly and offers one of the most vibrant Gayborhoods in the country.� These qualities make it the perfect location for the U.S. Mr. Gay competition again in 2011.� I am very excited to once again work with Bruce Yelk and Nightlifegay.com - who has proven to be one of the best in the business."
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U.S. Mr. Gay brings together contestants representing the nation's most prestigious cities, a wide variety of celebrity judges, performers, and hosts, as well as spectators from all around the country.� A series of competitive categories and performances will culminate in the naming of the 2012 U.S. Mr. Gay titleholder.�
The winner of this competition will go on to compete in International Mr. Gay (IMG). The IMG Competition is the largest and oldest running international contest to select an ambassador or spokesman to support the mission of the sponsoring nonprofit corporation, the Noble Beast Foundation.
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With a year of experience under his belt, Yelk believes that the U.S. Mr. Gay Competition in Philadelphia will again raise the event's profile and visibility.� "We built a lot of momentum in 2010.� Philadelphia's regional LGBT community members opened their arms wide and embraced the opportunity to be the first east coast host for U.S. Mr. Gay," said Yelk.� "But last year was just the beginning, and I guarantee that 2011 will be a bigger, better, and more fabulous event."
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The schedule, venues, contestants, and entertainment for the U.S. Mr. Gay Competition will be released periodically on www.nightlifegay.com
Check out the funny video Michael Musto and Mickey Boardman made for the Philadelphia Mr. Gay competition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tud4W473JII
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
