Finale Miss Gay America 1984

Miss Gay America 1984
Saturday, September 18, 1983
Oklahoma City Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Prelims were held at The Free Spirit Nightclub

Lady Baronessa 10 Year Anniversary

Theme: Erté
Hosted By: Lady Baronessa & Norman Jones
Special Guests: Rachael Wells, Jennifer Foxx, Ron East - Mr. Gay All-American 1984 & Francesca Wakeland - Miss Gay America 1983
(Tiffany Arieagus was there that week to help with the contestants)
Number of Contestants: 53 (54 but one did not attend)
Number of Preliminaries:
Judges:
Jerry Miller from Dallas, TX
Bradley Jameson from New York, NY
Dean Schmidt (Vicky Dawson) from St. Louis, MO
Jim Shealey from Atlanta, GA
Jim Savoy from St. Louis, MO
Jacqueline Taylor from Oklahoma City, OK

* * * * * * * * *

Opening Production
Video Slideshow of Former Miss Gay Americas

Parade of Contestants
Accompanied by Video Slideshow of Contestants
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

Welcome of Francesca Wakeland - Miss Gay America 1983

Announcement of Top 12
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

Introduction of Judges
Emceed by Norman Jones

Entertainment - Francesca Wakeland - Miss Gay America 1983
Sometimes When We Touch/I've Been Everywhere/I'll Fly Away/Rocky Top (clogging)

Evening Gown Competition
Emceed by Jennifer Foxx

Entertainment - Lady Baronessa
Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick)

Entertainment - Rachael Wells
You And I (Melissa Manchester)

Sportswear Competition
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

Entertainment - Atta? Dance Troupe from OKC

Talent Competition
Emceed by Lady Baronessa & Ron East - Mr. Gay All-American 1984

Entertainment - Jennifer Foxx
I Love Rock & Roll (Joan Jett)/Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics)/He's A Dream (Heart)

Entertainment - Ron East - Mr. Gay All-American 1984
Live vocal

Farewell Speech of Francesca Wakeland as Miss Gay America 1983
Read by Jennifer Foxx

Farewell Performance of Francesca Wakeland as Miss Gay America 1983
I Don't Know Much (Bette Midler)/Always On My Mind (Jennifer Holiday)

Final Parade of Contestants
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

Final Walk of Francesca Wakeland as Miss Gay America 1983

Expression of Thanks
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

Announcement of Awards
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

Announcement of Alternates
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

Crowning of Tasha Kohl as Miss Gay America 1984
by Francesca Wakeland & Jennifer Foxx
Emceed by Lady Baronessa

* * * * * * * * *

Contestants:

# Name Preliminary

1. COCO Miss Gay Gulf Coast
2. Sabrina DeLorean Miss Gay Texas
3. Jessica Houston Miss Gay Indiana
4. Georgia Brown Miss Gay Illinois
5. Trudy Tyler ? (from Dallas, TX)
6. Naomi Sims Miss Gay South
7. Vicki Vincent Miss Gay Missouri
8. Mimi Woods Miss Gay East Coast
9. Michael Evans ? (from OKC)
10. Vicky Williams Alt. Miss Gay West Virginia
11. Nancy Newton ? (from Hickory, NC)
12. Tasha Kohl Miss Gay Mid-America
13. Amii Dyshae Miss Gay Oklahoma
14. DeeDee LaBelle Alt. Miss Gay Mississippi
15. Stella Starr Miss Gay North Carolina
16. Jerry Harper Miss Gay Southwest
17. Shana Nicole ? (from Charleston, SC)
18. Donna Day Alt. Miss Gay Gulf Coast
19. Zha Zha Principle Alt. Miss Gay Midwest
20. Elaine St. Jacques Miss Gay Great Lakes
21. Diana Farrell Alt. Miss Gay Oklahoma
22. Fritz Capone Alt. Miss Gay Mid-America
23. Diana Lee Bishop Miss Gay South Carolina
24. Denise Michaels Rep. Miss Gay Michigan
25. Misty Deshaun Miss Gay North
26. Sable Starr Miss Gay Tennessee
27. Rusty Franklin Miss Gay Kansas
28. Wendy Gray Alt. Miss Gay Florida
29. Misty Dawes Alt. Miss Gay Arkansas
30. Lisa King Alt. Miss Gay Texas
31. Rita Ross Alt. Miss Gay Tennessee
32. Kim Alexis Alt. Miss Gay Kansas
33. Tamara D'Amour Miss Gay West Virginia
34. Ebony Evay Miss Gay Mississippi
35. Lady T. Tempest Rep. Miss Gay Michigan
36. Mahogany Miss Gay Florida
37. Natasha Valdez Alt. Miss Gay Tri-States
38. Dion Martell Alt. Miss Gay Southwest
39. Natisha DeWilliams Alt. Miss Gay Mid-America
40. Lisa Beaumond Miss Gay Louisiana
41. Dan Curry Miss Gay Midwest
42. Ginger Lamarr Miss Gay Atlantic Coast
43. Crystal Collins Miss Gay Virginia
44. Candi Stratton Alt. Miss Gay Illinois
45. Sherry Lawrence Alt. Miss Gay Arkansas
46. Tracy Lee Alt. Miss Gay Louisiana
47. Erica Lane Miss Gay Arkansas
48. (NO SHOW) Miss Gay New York State
49. Tiffany Carlisle Alt. Miss Gay Northeast
50. Leslie Ryan Alt. Miss Gay Indiana
51. Kelly Allman Alt. Miss Gay Atlantic Coast
52. Stacy Renée Alt. Miss Gay East Coast
53. Melissa Montgomery Miss Gay Northeast
54. Sookie Simone Miss Gay Tri-States

* * * * * * * * *

[thatsentertainment]

*TOP 12*

1. Naomi Sims #6
2. Stella Starr #15
3. Sookie Simone #54
4. Vicki Vincent #7
5. Tasha Kohl #12
6. Candi Stratton #44
7. Melissa Montgomery #53
8. Trudy Tyler #5
9. Diana Lee Bishop #23
10. Lisa King #30
11. Kelly Allman #51
12. Dan Curry #41

Performance order:

1. Trudy Tyler #5
2. Naomi Sims #6
3. Vicki Vincent #7
4. Tasha Kohl #12
5. Stella Starr #15
6. Diana Lee Bishop #23
7. Lisa King #30
8. Dan Curry #41
9. Candi Stratton #44
10. Kelly Allman #51
11. Melissa Montgomery #53
12. Sookie Simone #54

* * * * * * * * *

Miss Gay America 1984

Winner Tasha Kohl Miss Gay Mid-America Fort Worth, TX

1st Alt Naomi Sims Miss Gay South Houston, TX
2nd Alt Stella Starr Miss North Carolina Greensboro, NC

4. Trudy Tyler
5. Vicki Vincent
6. Diana Lee Bishop
7. Lisa King
8. Dan Curry
9. Candi Stratton
10. Kelly Allman
11. Melissa Montgomery
12. Sookie Simone

AWARDS:

Best Prelim Award
Announced by Lady Baronessa to Miss Gay North Carolina/Pageant Enterprises

Congeniality Award
Announced by Lady Baronessa to Donna Day

Lady Barbara Award
Announced by Lady Baronessa to Dion Martell

[Mommasboy-qe]

Francesca sat behind me in college economics class,

[johnkemmer-wewd]

Miss Tamara Demore also became Miss Ohio America. Miss you!!

[elaine]

Such wonderful memories with the OG's of drag. ❤

[aneasburkhartsmeier]

Why in the hell they got them coming out to the theme from E.T.

[thatsentertainment]

*Female impersonators seek hall City ordered to rent Myriad*

CHARLES T. JONES
Published: Fri, September 2, 1983 12:00 AM



A federal judge Thursday ordered the Oklahoma City Public Property Authority to rent the Myriad Convention Center's Great Hall Sept. 18 to the organizers of a national beauty pageant for female impersonators.

Quoting from Voltaire and chastising Oklahoma City Manager Scott Johnson for failing to "shoulder the responsibility of following the law, " U.S. District Judge David Russell of Oklahoma City ruled that, though he personally found the "Miss Gay America Pageant" distasteful, the Myriad must be made available for the show.

He ordered Johnson and the authority to rent the Myriad to Norma Kristie Inc., organizers of the pageant, "at the customary rental rate and on customary terms."

Quoting the French philosopher Voltaire, Russell said of the beauty pageant, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

N.R. Jones, president and sole stockholder of Norma Kristie Inc., went to federal district court in Oklahoma City last week, after his efforts to rent the Myriad were rebuffed by Johnson.

Johnson, citing no reasons for his decision, refused last July to grant a permit to Jones, who had been promised earlier by Myriad officials that the facility would be available to him on Sept. 18.

Johnson acts as general manager of the Oklahoma City Public Property Authority, a public trust.

Johnson's refusal left to the federal court the responsibility of having to make the clear, but unpopular, decision in the case, Russell intimated in his ruling.

During a Wednesday hearing in the case in Russell's court, Johnson testified that he acted alone in refusing the rental permit.

Johnson told Russell he decided the pageant would be "an open expression of homosexuality, " which he said violated community standards and was obscene.

City Attorney Diane Davis argued that the pageant should not be accorded constitutional protection under the First Amendment's free speech guarantees, because it is not a noteworthy artistic endeavor, such as a play or musical.

Said Russell: "While this court may agree that such a "pageant' may not rise to the level of artistic endeavor that "Hair' or "La Cage aux Folles' represent, it is still expression, " and is thus protected by the First Amendment.

"The First Amendment is not an art critic, " Russell said. "The First Amendment values free and open expression, even if distasteful to the majority, including personally distasteful to this court."

"Whether the pageant is an open expression of homosexuality is irrelevant, " Russell said. "In view of acclaimed performances by Dustin Hoffman, Julie Andrews, Flip Wilson, Harvey Korman, Tony Curtis and Milton Berle in the roles of female impersonators, such impersonations may not be necessarily equated with homosexuality, " Russell said.

Russell chastized Johnson, whom he said "made no effort to follow the clear dictates of the U.S. Supreme Court, even after discussion with legal counsel. . . "Instead, in the face of clear-cut mandates, Defendant Johnson unilaterally rejected the application without investigation and based only on his own opinion.

"Providing wholesome entertainment is an admirable motive, but government officials at all levels must shoulder the responsibility of following the law and upholding the Constitution, even when to do so is unpopular, " Russell said.

Archive ID: 142669

See also:

[williammials]

This system Toyed with Naomi for years!

[raymondescobar]

HEAVENS OMG LOL IM NOW 59 THIS APRIL. MEMORIES HEAVEANS . LOL.

[marcogonzalez]

Looks like the crown is passed down to winner! They don't get to keep the crown

[DJXTX]

Wait first runner ups could compete? 😳

[DavidLee-phmp]

The hostess is a hot mess!!! What is her name? What a disaster of a pageant! Very disorganized and the owner of this pageant should be ashamed!!!

[ms.martiegallego]

Not hard to tell they were men !!! Very few real beauties !!