Ms. Gay IU contestants reign fabulous in Friday's competition

Senior Michaela Martin-Almy, president of OUT, wants people to know that it wasn't "just all the gay kids on campus" who attended Friday night's Ms. Gay IU Pageant.\n"It brought all different kinds of people together," Martin-Almy said. "It's a healthy and positive way to address weighty subjects like sex and gender."\nOUT, which promotes the welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students at IU, has been planning Miss Gay IU for more than a year. The pageant began at 8 p.m. at the IU Auditorium and ended three and a half hours later when Alana Steele was crowned Ms. Gay IU 2005.\n"I thoroughly enjoy it," said Carol Fischer, assistant at GLBT. "It's one of the few things I stay up late for."\nEven though this is the 14th year for the pageant, Fischer said there is a lot of controversy in the gay community about drag queens. Fischer said some people do drag because they are transvestites, want a sex change or like to perform.\n"Some people say they don't belong, but they deserve our respect," Fischer said. "Drag queens have always put themselves on the front line. They connect us to our heritage."\nPerforming in front of more than 1,000 in attendance, the emcees reminded the audience to show their love and respect for the five contestants.\n"It takes a lot of nerve to stand up here in front of a big audience and do female \nimpersonations," said India Black, the current Ms. Gay Indiana. The performers used stage names during their acts.\nDuring the question and answer session, each contestant was asked one question about diversity, acceptance and the art of female impersonation. The five judges were looking for poised contestants and the ability to think quickly in their five-inch heels.\n"As Ms. Gay IU, I will educate the community about the art of female impersonation and the motivation behind it," Steele said. "For me, it's a release of self-expression. I desire to be an entertainer."\nVicki St. James, another emcee, who won the title of Ms. Gay Indiana in 1995, wanted to make the event entertaining. She made jokes about Michael Jackson, rent payments and her 37 former husbands.\n"We need to erase labels from our vocabulary," St. James said. "Gay, straight, bisexual, transvestite -- I describe myself as all-terrain."\nJunior Lynzi Miller didn't want to go through college without seeing the event.\n"It celebrates people being whatever they want to be," Miller said. "It shows who they are."\nThe contestants were eager to show off their evening gowns. With wigs, flashy jewelry and inch-thick mascara, the contestants sauntered across the auditorium floor, trying to convince judges that they "owned the stage." \nThe entire auditorium got behind Steele's "Catwoman" talent piece. Dressed in a leather catsuit and accompanied by backup dancers, the crowd screamed when she reached for a bottle of milk and poured it all over herself.\nSenior Whitney Bond, who attended the event for the first time, enjoyed "people watching." She thought it showed a fun and light-hearted side to the gay community.\n"People aren't holding back," Bond said. "Everybody is enjoying themselves."\nAs the results were being tallied, an audience member shouted out, "Alfred Kinsey would be proud!"\nAt the end of the show, Bianca Defy finished her last performance as Ms. Gay IU. Wearing a purple and black bell hoop skirt, she lip-synched to Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."\nAs the sun set on her reign, people gathered near the stage, paid their respects and swayed back and forth. Steele was announced the winner and received a standing ovation.\n"I hope to have her on campus a lot," Martin-Almy said. "Being in drag will give her the opportunity to bring attention to our cause." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Jessica Levco at jlevco@indiana.edu.