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January 2011 Edition Of
"The Excellence"
My
Life On The "E" List
 Happy
New Year!!!! I want to extend my happiest wishes for everyone this
New Year. I have to be honest and tell you that I'm still in shock. Being
announced Miss Gay America is very emotional for me. I have always dreamed it
but now its reality.... The most (well maybe the second most) question Ive been
asked is "HOW DOES IT FEEL"...And I reply...”It doesn't feel
bad at all...”
The month started off at one of my favorite places...Club One in
Savannah
. I truly love the cast and I consider them family. Several girls there, have
competed for Miss Gay America, so I was excited to share my stories and
encourage them to follow there dreams. If you are ever in
Savannah
, stop in and tell them Coti sent you.....
Next
weekend I was off to
Memphis
to spend time with Larry and Terry. I didn't know what to expect, but excited
to get to know them. It is very evident to me that they love the system as much
as I do. The wall in their office has all 40 Miss Gay America pictures
hanging in order. As I stood and scanned each one, I was so proud to be apart of
such a royal family. So much history on one single wall...The weekend went so
quickly, between studies and eating every 30 minutes, I had a blast. We also
stepped out Saturday night and I performed at a benefit show hosted by former
Miss Gay Tennessee America Anita Cocktail. Also performing was the reigning
Miss Gay Tennessee America Ashlyn Tyler and former Miss Gay
Maryland
America
Akasha Cassadine. I met so many great entertainers and felt like I was home.
Thank you Crossroads for such a great night. I also want to thank Larry and
Terry for such great hospitality. As
I left
Memphis
, 30 pounds heavier and hopefully more knowledgeable about the coming year,
I reflected on how I wanted my year to be. My goal has always been to
challenge myself and challenge the ones around me. I am a true example on never
let anyone determine your self worth…
I
actually spent Christmas at home. It was so good to perform at my home bar
Legends. I'm so lucky to be able to come home and fall right back into place. On
Christmas day,
Raleigh
got pounded by a snow storm.....What a perfect Christmas.....It has been a good
year.....
My
interview this month is with Miss Gay America 1982 Jennifer Foxx from
Detroit
. As I often stated, He was the first to inspire me and he still does to this
day..... I am so honored that he took the time to chat with me.....
Miss Gay America 2011 Coti Colliins: How did you first hear of The Miss Gay
America System?
Miss Gay America 1982 Jennifer Foxx: In 1977 I was employed at Bookies
Club 870 in
Detroit
Michigan
and one of the performers who started in the business a few years before me was
Miss Dani Daletto-Miss Gay America 1976. I was unfamiliar with the system
but although it was in it's fledgling stages I was amazed that it a time where
impersonating a woman was a criminal offense someone had the bravery to try to
legitimize the art form. After a few phone calls, some donations from
well-wishers, and some assistance from my Lady Kenmore sewing machine, I was on
the plane headed for
Houston
,
Texas
. The contest was held at the Old
Plantation
...a huge cavernous place filled with some of the most beautiful and talented
impersonators in the
United States
...47 to be exact. My dressing station was pre-assigned. I was
placed between the stunning Miss Angie DeMarco and my Goddess Miss Naomi Sims-
Miss Gay America 1985.... Ouch! I remember looking in the mirror and saying
to myself. "Fool! What have you gotten yourself into?". My objective
became not to embarrass myself, learn all I could and hi-tail it back to The
Motor City. I placed 40 out of 47 and flew the friendly skies home with my
tail between my legs...BUT the seed had been planted and I said to myself,
" Someday I will achieve this goal and be Miss Gay America...."
Miss Gay America 2011 Coti Collins- As
Miss Gay America what was your " defining moment ?
Miss Gay America 1982 Jennifer Foxx: Shortly after I won Miss Gay America in
1982 the nationally syndicated talk show Tom Snyder Tomorrow invited my parents
and I to make an appearance to promote the pageant. This was
unprecedented! No female impersonator had ever been invited to speak on national
television! My father had to work but they were kind enough to fly my
mother and I to
New York
and limo us to
Rockefeller
Center
. When they ushered us in to the set after prepping us, they wired us with
microphones and began to count down coming out of a commercial. In THAT
moment I remember looking around at the crew, my mother, and Mr. Snyder and
saying to myself ," I have been chosen to do this... to speak for all that
came before me...to represent all that did not have a voice or a platform.... to
those that had fallen trying to be heard..." I made my appearance in
male attire to re-enforce the image (which I received great criticism for by
many of my peers)… The lights came up… Tom did his salutations and it was
on......He was a lovely man, the interview was great and light… and
they whisked my mother and I to the Shubert Theater where "Evita" had
opened just recently. I remember watching the great Patti Lapone and
thinking... "Oh my God! I just made history! ". I captured the
crown in
Dallas
,
Texas
... I passed on my title in
Charlotte
,
North Carolina
. The political and religious atmosphere was light years away from
Dallas
where when I won. Television coverage was permitted and UPI and the wire
services placed my mother and I on the cover of the New York Times and 100 other
publications in the
United States
the next morning. As I prepared to go to the convention center for the final
evening, I received a phone call from an anonymous caller "advising"
me not to appear that evening. Against my mothers wishes the limo
transported us to the venue. As we approached I saw the hooded figures
brandishing bibles. I was terrified but could not let on to my Mom. I took
her hand, we opened the door, and stood.... not eight feet from us was the Ku
Klux Klan in their white robes. They did not speak but tightened up shoulder to
shoulder as if to challenge us to pass....I could only say, "God Loves You
" as I put one foot in front of the other. No violence occurred...BUT
the fear and intimidation was so strong. It truly defined my growing character.
The rest of the evening and my " give up " is a blur...I was a
mess...but it rewarded me with a more important gift...after that night
and the resolution it granted me, I would NEVER be intimidated or frightened of
anything again! "... And of course I would be remiss if I did not include
being on the receiving end of The Norma Christie Lifetime Achievement Award
presented to me at Miss Gay America 2011. It brought everything full
circle and validated all I feel I have devoted to my art form as an actor. I
will forever be indebted to Mr. Larry and Mr. Terry for considering me for such
a prestigious honor and I place it as the crowning glory of my 35 year career in
female impersonation. Thank You, gentleman!
Miss Gay America 2011 Coti Collins: What
obstacles did you overcome during your year as Miss Gay America?
Miss Gay America 1982 Jennifer Foxx: Well I have already relayed several...but
one is particular I still wrestle with. I was hell-bent on representing
myself as a male in many instances when I was not performing or when I appeared
on what turned out to eventually be 60 television programs. I continued to
re-enforce the image that Miss Gay America will ALWAYS be a male in appearance
that possess the unique artistic ability to re-create the visual presentation
and the idiosyncratic mannerisms of biological women. The more I stressed this
the more widely it became accepted until the media began to ask me to come in
male attire and just drop in clips of performance.... my platform was simple...I
wanted their respect for my profession and this was the way to earn it… and
low and behold, it worked!
Miss Gay America 2011 Coti Collins: What
changes have you seen in the pageant over the years?
Miss Gay America 1982 Jennifer Foxx:
Mainly organization. Enough could ever be said and many of you will never
know how unselfishly Mr. Norman Jones worked to see this dream realized.
In the early days man-power was short and technology was slow, much unlike
today.
Norman
did almost everything himself. I remember being raved up and getting to
nationals and seeing exhausted almost broken
Norman
speaking low and slow just trying to get through the week. Mr. Jones
NEVER did this for the financial benefit. He pushed on and guarded Miss
Gay America because it was his calling. He had the rare foresight to see what
this was to become.... You will never understand the debt we all owe to Mr.
Jones....and I personally for allowing me this wonderful career. ......That is
why every time as a contestant you walk across the stage, or as a promoter you
also put in endless hours, remember you are an extension of this one mans'
vision and that you carry on a legacy that was forged many years ago.....Today
it is still an extremely difficult venture to run......BUT with the astute
skills of L and T Entertainment, a more well-informed promoter, and better
networking between contestants and the system, we are seeing a sleeker, stronger
Miss Gay America. I swell with pride when I see the progression
Miss Gay America 2011 Coti Collins: What
advice would you have for me, Coti Collins Miss Gay America 2011?
Miss Gay America 1982 Jennifer Foxx:
Three pieces of advice, my friend.....!) Remember to try to live in the moment
as much as possible... make an effort to be present for all the wonderment that
is around you. Sleep will be a rare commodity and flying into the next venue
with renewed vigor and sincerity is extremely difficult but draw from that fire
inside that drove you to be amongst the best in your profession.....first and
foremost I suggest prayer.... 2) Do not make the fatal mistake of believing your
own press.....so many are adoring you, day to day and you develop a false sense
of reality...the year goes by fast and the adjustment can be brutal when you are
no longer the soup of the day....keep your feet on the ground.....3) Always
remember your tenure as Miss Gay America is part of a much bigger plan.......NOW
it is you job to figure out how your piece fits in the Miss Gay America Puzzle!
Don't worry... when your head clears, it will come to you... you're Coti
Collins!!!!!!!... I can't tell you again how much I have enjoyed spending this
time with all of you and how important you have made me feel about how I have
lived my life. It means the world to me to know that I am not alone in my
strong belief in what this system has been and the scope of what it is to
become. The future of The Miss Gay America Pageantry System lies with
you.........the contestants, the promoters and the supporters......But I am not
worried....As a judge at Miss Gay America 2011 I had NEVER seen such a group of
more accomplished, educated, well-mannered, and articulate contestants only to
be matched by the great presentation and commitment of the promoters from across
our great land and ALL of the supporting staff of each. I thank all of you
for your input and hard work. I look forward to seeing you next year as I
celebrate my 30 Anniversary as Miss Gay America in
Columbus
,
Ohio
and wish all of you a safe, healthy, and happy 2011!
With Much Respect...Bobby Bruno a.k.a. Ms. Jennifer Foxx
I
hope you can see why Bobby Bruno changed my life..... Who would you like for me
to interview next month, let me know at CotiCollinsMGA2011@gmail.com
Until next month,
Respect and Love...
Coti
Collins
Miss Gay America 2011
From the desk
of Larry & Terry
2010…The Year In Review…
Wow! Where did it go? It seems as quickly as it began, it has ended… the year
of 2010 has been filled with ups and downs but all in all, the Miss Gay America
pageant system recovered from “beginning of the year” drama all the while
remaining its integrity and reputation of being the “best of the best”… Yes,
year 2010 was a historical year for the Miss Gay America pageant system as only
the second person, in the 38 years of existence of the national contest was
dethroned. Then, the successor Miss Gay America 2010 Coco Montrese, began to
reign and what a spectacular job she did. Coco took the country by surprise…
the country knew that Coco was both beautiful and talented, but
Coco
demonstrated to the country what being called the “Symbol of Excellence” is
all about. She reigned with class and dignity, all the while demonstrating that
her administration abilities were among the best seen by this pageant system. We
then moved the national pageant to a
new city
,
Columbus
,
Ohio
. And while we always get nervous
when experiencing a new venue, all in all, the Miss Gay America 2011 pageant was
seemingly the smoothest year of national competition experienced in the L &
T Entertainment administration. And as if the pageant experience was not smooth
enough, but then to see Coti Collins realize his approximately 25 year old dream
of being call Miss Gay America, was icing on the cake. The optimist in us always
anticipates that the coming year will be a good one. We have many opportunities
for franchise growth and contestant growth in this pageant system. In spite of
this terrible economy, we still have accumulated the nation’s best promoters
and contestants who are willing to continue the tradition of excellence, all the
while believing in the very foundation for which this pageant system is known,
and that is excellence in entertainment, through pageantry. There is much
excitement in our almost daily conversations with Miss Gay America 2011 Coti
Collins. Coti remains “overwhelmed” with the level of respect and prestige
that is associated with being called the reigning Miss Gay America. As Coti
explains, her thought of what it would be like to be Miss Gay America and now,
knowing what the reality of being Miss Gay America is, she admits that they are
two different things. There is a huge amount of respect that is associated with
being Miss Gay America and fortunately once again, for this pageant system,
someone has been crowned that has a positive reputation, whereby a portion of
the reign will not have to be spent, attempting to do reputation repair. This is
the very reason why we continue to explain that, “you have to be it, BEFORE
you become it”…
Our December has been a VERY busy month of pageant “to-do’s” and
travel. The first weekend of the month was spent visiting with immediate
family. Then, we had an incredible weekend at our annual “Fathers-Daughter”
retreat whereby we always bring the newly crowned Miss Gay America to our home
for a nice long weekend filled with lots of food, fellowship, watching prior
year pageant videos and administrative duty preparations. This is a good time
for us to get to know the new Miss Gay America personally but also the weekend
was filled with administrative duty discussion. While most of those Miss Gay
America’s who have reigned within the L & T
administration have been thought to be “great administrators”, much
of it is due to our preparing Miss Gay America for what could lie ahead as she
is attending each of the preliminaries across the country.
After a thorough review of the Promoters Handbook, discussion of many war
stories and lots of question and answers, Coti is now in the next phase of
orientation as Miss Gay America, whereby she is reviewing many “essay” type
questions of mostly real life situations that have occurred… this have proven
to be one of the most beneficial tools in training Miss Gay America. As we have
said time and time again, while we have business to conduct and there are rules
to enforce, we still want Miss Gay America to have a smooth reign… and the
more preparedness completed now, the better likelihood of Miss Gay America being
able to handle all of the challenges that will occur during her reign.
The third weekend of the month took us to
Las Vegas
,
Nevada
, where we (along with a few other MGA family members) were fortunate enough to
see Miss Gay America 2010 Coco Montrese and Alfonso exchange vows during the
commitment ceremony. It was a very emotional ceremony and all in attendance,
including L & T, were very moved by the beauty of this service. Coco
Montrese will forever hold a very special place in our hearts, and to see her
life evolve into continued happiness is a blessing for us to witness. Congrats
again to Alfonso and
Coco
(Martin)… we wish you a lifetime of good health, lots of love and happiness.
While we love our immediate families, the stress of the year took its toll and
we decided to take a trip to
Eureka Springs
,
Arkansas
for Christmas weekend. It was a nice relaxing weekend and was just what we
needed to decompress and mentally/physically prepare ourselves for another great
year in the Miss Gay America pageant system.
So what is in store for the coming months? We
will get two additional promotional photos of Miss Gay America 2011 Coti Collins
in print, then we focus on the Miss Mid America 2011 pageant, on March 11, 2011
in Memphis, Tennessee, which will officially begin the Miss Gay America 2012
pageant season, all the while continuing to acquire a few more preliminary
pageants so as to attain the goal of 60 contestants. So needless to say, we are
not slowing momentum. We are very excited about the upcoming year and look
forward to realizing yet another great year with Coti, during her reign. As the
search for the next Miss Gay America is non-stop, we are excited about this
pageant season. Its always rewarding to witness quality growth in contestants
and we are anxious to see the results of the various preliminary pageants.
By
the way, the Miss Gay America 2011 videos are ready for purchase. The quality is
great and we would like to thank JB Media Designs for a job well done. For more
information please go to the "MGA Store" via the www.missgayamerica.com
website or contact larryandterry@missgayamerica.com
for more information.
We wish each of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. We look
forward to seeing you soon...
Until next
time,
Larry and
Terry
A Note From The Editor
The Excellence strives to be an informative newsletter delivered to the promoters,
contestants, audience and other supporters of the Miss Gay America Pageant System throughout the year. Should there be any issue or topic of discussion a promoter would like to see addressed (or to write an article to be published) in a future newsletter, please contact the editor via
Email.
Please note, any article, comments, or opinions faxed, mailed, (postal or electronics),
or otherwise sent to any of our "addresses" become our property and carry an implied consent of publication should we choose to do so. No articles will be published in which one or more of the following occurs:
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