Arts & Entertainment
Tradition of excellence
With 3 national titles in 4 years, Miss Gay D.C. winners leave big shoes to fill
Coti Collins being crowned Miss Gay America (Photo courtesy Robert York)
Miss Gay D.C. America pageant
March 24
6 to 11 p.m.
Town
2009 8th St., N.W.
Admission: $10 (those who attend can stay at the club all evening)
When Jen Corey, a straight 24-year-old Chevy Chase resident, was asked to judge the Miss Gay D.C. pageant in 2010, she had no idea what to expect.
“I’d never even met a drag queen or female illusionist,” Corey, who was asked because of her Miss America success — she made the top 10 that year, says. “I’d seen ‘The Birdcage,’ that was about it. I didn’t know anything but it was refreshing to see how much it paralleled the Miss America pageant … and I was really impressed, impressed with how all the details work together. I mean, they know how to do hair and makeup better than I do. I was so impressed with how seriously they took it. I really thought it would be a little bit of a joke, but it wasn’t at all.”
Competing is a hardcore business — contestants, who must have had no augmentation from the neck down, bring an impressive level of talent and detail to the contests, both for the Miss D.C. title and the national Miss Gay America title. And the hard work and determination is paying off on the national level. Three of the last four national titleholders have represented D.C. in the contest. They aren’t all D.C. residents — the local title doesn’t have a residency requirement — but the District has an impressive track record at nationals.
In addition to four top 10 finishes at nationals, three Miss Gay D.C. America titleholders have taken the national crown — Victoria DePaula (Carl Glorioso) in 2008, Coti Collins (David Lowman) in 2010 and Kirby Kolby (Mark Smith) in 2011. Promoter Robert York bought the D.C. franchise in 2006 and helped increase its prominence nationally (prior to 2006, only one Miss D.C. winner had won nationals — Sabrina White in 2002).
York, a former Mr. Gay U.S.A. regional title holder, and a group of friends saw the potential within the region and thought it would be fun to try to raise its profile. The contest had been in existence since 1984 but next weekend’s event is its 25th (it wasn’t held a few years). Now York runs it with his friend Brian Alexander. He says the appeal for him is the chance the forum gives those involved to give back to the community in a fun way.
“We’ve seen some really talented people over the seven years who are deeply committed to the art form,” he says. “And who are equally committed to giving back to the community. We’ve been involved with Whitman-Walker Health, the Trevor Project and so on. Last year, Coti was really involved with speaking out against bullying and gay youth. Victoria did a lot with HIV and AIDS. It’s not just about winning the crown. It’s about doing something with it and giving back.”
A new Miss Gay D.C. will be crowned next weekend at Town. Admission is $10 and those who come to see the pageant can stay all evening at the club. It starts at 6 p.m. Contestants will compete in five categories — interview, evening gown, male interview, solo talent, group talent and on-stage question. He’s not sure how many will compete this year — registrations are accepted until the day before. Usually just five or fewer enter because it takes a lot of preparation. And though some past contestants have been in the house casts at Town or Ziegfeld’s or active in the Academy of Washington, the rigors of being a titleholder are often more than those who perform every weekend in the clubs can commit to. Winning on the national level, especially, can be an all-consuming endeavor. For Coti Collins, though, it was worth it.
Lowman, who has family in Virginia and went to college in West Virginia, now lives in Raleigh, N.C. where he’s been for about eight years. He works by day as a vet assistant but it’s a highly flexible work situation that allows him time to leave for months at a time and perform in Vegas or compete in pageants. He did “La Cage” in Vegas for seven years and does impersonations of Judy Garland and Dolly Parton on stage. For three years in the late ‘90s he was on tour with Reba McIntyre as a sort of drag version of herself. He eschews the drag label though and says he’s really an actor at heart.
He’d been in pageants years ago — he had a rather ignominious start placing 70 out of 71 in the ’87 contest. But the next year he made the top 30 and then in 1990 he was in the top 10. But years of professional work sidelined him and he took a long hiatus until 2005 when he decided to try again and take care of what he calls “unfinished business.” In 2010 he succeeded and was named Miss Gay America 2011.
“I felt complete,” he says. “It was a goal and a dream that was fulfilled. People said, ‘You’re too old to win a pageant,’ but never let anybody else determine your self worth and I never did. I promoted myself and I knew what I could do. It was an uphill battle — I was one of the older contestants, but I was still prepared to win and with the help of Robert and the D.C. family, I accomplished my goal.”
Former judge Sonya Gavankar-McKay, a Miss America vet, says she’s been pleasantly surprised at how professional the pageants are.
“These guys really have a sense of moral character and it’s impressive,” she says. “There’s the drag community and they’re always a little tongue in cheek and sassy and fun and that’s great, but there is an expectation in the pageants that these guys are expected to carry themselves with decorum and class and it speaks a lot to how they appreciate and respect their craft.”
Lowman says York helped him in some of his weaker categories of competition and says though the gowns and wigs can be expensive, winning was not something a dollar value could be put upon.
“Can you put a price on a dream? No, you can’t,” he says. “I’m a pretty passionate person and I try to do my best in everything I do whether it’s female impersonation, casino shows or mowing the grass. I want to be the best I can be. I want to be remembered for making a difference and changing people’s lives. Anybody can just rollercoaster through life, but it’s the ones who do it with passion who make the difference.”
History
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Tuesday marked 60 years since four gay activists held protest
While Stonewall is widely considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in the U.S., a lesser-known protest inside a Greenwich Village bar three years earlier helped lay critical groundwork for what would follow.
Tuesday marked 60 years since the Julius’ Bar “sip in.”
On April 21, 1966, four gay rights activists — Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, John Timmons, and later Randy Wicker — walked into Julius’ Bar and staged what would become known as a “sip-in” to challenge state liquor regulations on serving alcoholic beverages to gay men — with a drink.
Modeled after the sit-ins that challenged racial segregation across the American South, the protest was designed to confront discriminatory practices targeting LGBTQ patrons in public spaces.
At the time, the Mattachine Society — one of the country’s earliest gay rights groups — was actively pushing back against policies enforced by the New York State Liquor Authority. One of those policies could have resulted in the loss of liquor licenses for serving known or suspected gay men and lesbians. The participants had visited multiple establishments, openly identified themselves as homosexual, and requested a drink — with the anticipation of being denied.
Their final stop was Julius’, where reporters and a photographer had gathered to document the moment. When Leitsch declared their identity, the bartender covered their glasses and refused service, reportedly saying, “I think it’s against the law.” The next day, the New York Times ran a story with the headline, “3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars,” cementing the moment in the public record.
Though initially framed with disrespect — the term “sip-in” itself was coined as a play on civil rights protests — the action marked a turning point. It brought national attention to the systemic discrimination LGBTQ people faced and helped catalyze changes in how liquor laws were enforced. In the years that followed, the protest contributed to the emergence of licensed, more openly gay-friendly bars, which became central social and organizing spaces for LGBTQ communities.
The Washington Blade originally covered when the bar was officially added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Today, historians and advocates increasingly recognize the “sip-in” as a key pre-Stonewall milestone. According to the New York City LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, the protest not only increased visibility of the early LGBTQ rights movement but also exposed widespread surveillance and entrapment tactics used against the community.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the event, commemorations have taken place in New York and across the country. Reflecting on its enduring legacy, Amanda Davis, executive director of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, spoke about the event.
“Julius’ Bar is a place you can visit and viscerally connect with history,” said Davis. “We’re thrilled to have solidarity locations across the country join us in commemorating the ‘sip-in’’s 60th anniversary and the queer community’s First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.”
For current stewards of the historic bar, the responsibility of preserving that legacy remains front of mind.
“It’s a privilege and a responsibility to be the steward of a place so important to American and LGBTQ history,” said current owner of Julius’ Bar, Helen Buford. “The events of the 1966 Sip-In here at Julius’ resonated across the country and inspired countless others to stand proud for their rights.”
The timing couldn’t have come at a more important moment, Kymn Goldstein, executive director of the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, explained.
“At a time when our community faces renewed challenges, coming together in resilience and solidarity reminds us of the power in our collective resistance,” Goldstein said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization dedicated to defending rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, is currently tracking 519 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. The majority are targeted at restricting transgender rights — particularly related to gender-affirming care, sports participation, and the use of public bathrooms.
Some additional groups and bars that held their own “sip-in” as solidarity events to uplift this historic milestone are from across the country include:
Alice Austen House at Steiny’s Pub, Staten Island, N.Y.
Bellows Falls Pride Committee at PK’s Irish Pub, Bellows Falls, Vt.
Brick Road Coffee, Mesa, Ariz.
Brick Road Coffee, Tempe, Ariz.
Dick Leitsch’s Family at Old Louisville Brewery, Louisville, Ky.
The Faerie Playhouse & LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana at Le Cabaret, New Orleans
Harlem Pride & John Reddick at L’Artista Italian Kitchen & Bar, New York
JOYR!DE KiKi at Loafers Cocktail Bar, New York
Matthew Lawrence & Jason Tranchida / Headmaster at Deadbeats Bar, Providence, R.I.
Mazer Lesbian Archives at Alana’s Coffee, Los Angeles
New Hope Celebrates at The Club Room, New Hope, Pa.
Queer Memory Project at the University of Evansville Multicultural Student Commons / Ridgway University Center, Evansville, Ind.
Sandy Jack’s Bar, Brooklyn, N.Y.
St. Louis LGBT History Project at Just John Club, St. Louis
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch was held at Salamander Washington DC on Sunday, April 19. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) was presented with the Allyship Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The umbrella LGBTQ sports organization Team D.C. held its annual Night of Champions Gala at the Georgetown Marriott on Saturday, April 18. Team D.C. presented scholarships to local student athletes and presented awards to Adam Peck, Manuel Montelongo (a.k.a. Mari Con Carne), Dr. Sara Varghai, Dan Martin and the Centaur Motorcycle Club. Sean Bartel was posthumously honored with the Most Valuable Person Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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