Students take stage for pageant

Contestants took the stage to compete for the title of Miss and Mr. Gay IU on Thursday at the Willkie Auditorium.

Silky N. Ganache won Miss Gay IU, and Joey Sparks took the crown as the first Mr. Gay IU.

Miss Gay IU is the oldest and longest-running university drag pageant.

“I think IU is one of the most open places you can be,” said Patricio Battani, director of the pageant. “It’s 25 years old now, so it’s a tradition. I think it’s just a way to showcase what the LGBT community has to offer in general. It allows people to see that and be a part of that.”

Participants were judged by how they performed in several categories. These included evening gown for Miss and creative swimwear for Mr., on-stage question and answer, talent, an interview prior to the competition and an HIV 101 course.

The Mr. Gay IU segment may be new to the pageant, but the two contestants, Joey Sparks and Vincent T. Debeaute, said they had fun with the experience.

“I enjoy everything about it,” Debeaute said. “The outfits, the lipstick, the audience, the participation, the camaraderie, all of it. It’s gone quick, but it’s been fun.”

Battani said having a Mr. Gay IU pageant was in large part due to the growing popularity of Mr. pageants.

“Mr. pageants have become kind of a bigger thing at Indiana and across the
nation,” he said. “They’re growing, and so we decided that we wanted to give people the opportunity that did not want to perform in drag to perform and hold the title and represent the gay and bisexual male community here.”

The pageant is organized by Illumenate, an social organization for gay, bisexual and transgender men that is known nationally as Empowerment.

One of 75 chapters, the purpose of Illumenate at IU is to help curb the HIV epidemic, provide a safe space and educate about HIV and AIDS, Battani said.

Participants were chosen through an application process. In the coming year, Sparks will represent Illumenate in the Bloomington community.

Sparks and Ganache will be on LGBT panels on campus and talk about gender performance in human sexuality classes.

Mahogany Charlotte, a first-time participant and Wabash College graduate, said she chose to participate because of what the pageant stood for.

“One of the things Miss Gay IU does is educate and advocate for HIV and AIDS education, and that’s something that’s important to me,” she said. “I did know someone who died from HIV complications. I think part of the reason people have a hard time talking about it is because they aren’t educated about it.”

The pageant was largely sponsored by Illumenate. Contributions were also made by the OUT! and the Back Door in Bloomington, among others.

“To me, the crown is a symbol of excellence,” Debeaute said. “It is the lasting memory — that’s really the thing people are watching. Anyone can have a crown, but the reign lasts a lifetime.”