Pageant Date, Time and Venue 3

Contents

Calendar of Events for the Weekend...... 2 Pageant Date, Time and Venue ...... 3 Entry Fees ...... 4 Prize Packages ...... 5 Accommodations...... 7 Shopping...... 8 Medical...... 9 Rules ...... 10 Categories ...... 12 How To Register ...... 14 Contacts ...... 15

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 1 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Calendar of Events

DAY 1 Friday, January 29, 2016 7:00 pm – Meet and greet the reigning Miss Gay Southernmost USofA and USofA Classic, as well as former national pageant winners at La Te Da Hotel. Dinner provided. (We highly encouraged you to attend this event, in order to get to know the judges, other contestants, and sponsors. La Te Da is a premier sponsor and is here to show you a fabulous evening!)

9:00 pm – Randy Roberts Live! In the Crystal Room at La Te Da, 1025 Duval St. Key West FL.

DAY 2 Saturday, January 30, 2016 11:00 am - Event Registration, San Carlos Institute Theater, 516 Duval St. Key West FL.

12:30 pm (Immediately Following Registration) - Pageant Face-to-Face Interview of contestants.

6:00 pm - Red Carpet and Cocktail Hour at the San Carlos Institute Theater with Miss Gay USofA. The chance to meet and take pictures with the reigning Miss Gay USofA, Mokha Montrese and Miss Gay USofA Classic Roxie Hart.

7:00 pm - Official Miss Gay Southernmost UsofA and Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic Pageants at the San Carlos Institute Theater. Contestant competition categories include: Evening Gown, Talent Competition, and Performances by Former and Reigning Miss USofA and Miss USofA Classic

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 2 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Pageant Day Information

Saturday, January 30, 2016 The 2016 Miss Gay Southernmost USofA and Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic Pageants will be Saturday, January 30th at 7:00 p.m., at The San Carlos Institute Theater in Key West, Florida.

Contestants must arrive at San Carlos Institute Theater by 11:00 a.m. on the day of the pageant for registration. Immediately following registration will be Personal Interview Competition. You should have your personal interview outfit with you at this time. Changing rooms will be available for contestants.

Doors at The San Carlos Institute Theater will open to the public at 6:00 p.m. All contestants must arrive to the pageant by 6:00 p.m.

Administrative points may be deducted from your total score if you do not arrive on time.

The San Carlos Institute Theater is located at: 516 Duval Street Key West, FL 33040 (305) 747-8563

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 3 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Pageant Tickets and Entry Fee

Tickets to the pageant are $70 each ($80 at the door). Tickets can be purchased at www.missgaysouthernmost.com.

Dancers do not have to pay a fee to enter the pageant. This is part of our Southernmost hospitality.

Cost to enter the pageant is $150*. You can register at mail your entry to: Miss Gay Southernmost USofA 1018 Truman Avenue #2 Key West Florida 33040

*At registration, all contestants who enter will be compensated $200 for room accommodations due to high seasonal cost of rooms in Key West.

Contact Les Steele for more information. (305) 731-6557. There is NO refund of registration fees.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 4 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Prize Packages

2016 Miss Gay Southernmost USofA: Winner $1,500  $750 at crowning + $750 at national pageant*  Miss Gay Southernmost Crown by Nova Starr.  Jewelry by Nova Starr for evening gown at Nationals.  Contestant room at national pageant.  Entry fee to National Pageant.  Compensation for dressers, hair, and makeup at Nationals.

1st Runner-Up: $900 cash  $450 at crowning + $450 at national pageant*  Miss Gay Southernmost Crown by Nova Starr.  Jewelry by Nova Starr for evening gown at Nationals.  Contestant room at national pageant.  Entry fee to National Pageant.  Compensation for dressers, hair, and makeup at Nationals.

2016 Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic: Winner: $1,500 cash  $750 at crowning + $750 at national pageant*  Miss Gay Southernmost Crown by Nova Starr.  Jewelry by Nova Starr for evening gown at Nationals.  Contestant room at national pageant.  Entry fee to National Pageant.  Compensation for dressers, hair, and makeup at Nationals.

*Winners and 1st Runners-Up to Miss Southernmost USofA and Miss Southernmost USofA Classic MUST sign a contract the night of the pageant with Southernmost USofA Pageants or they will not receive any of the prizes and will forfeit their placements.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 5 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com **Winners are given the opportunity to perform at Miss Gay USofA in Review Sunday and Monday night at La Te Da. Winners will be paid for performing.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 6 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Accommodations

The host hotel La Te Da. Room rates are approximately $270/night.

La Te Da Hotel is located at: 1125 Duval St. Key West, FL 33040 (877) 528-3320

There are also other accommodations nearby the venue:

New Orleans House 724 Duval Street Key West FL 33040 (888) 293-9893 www.neworleanshousekw.com (3.6 miles from venue. Approximately 8 minutes by car) Current economy room rates are $229/night

Other Relevant Local Information:

Distance from Miami If contestants are considering flying into Miami or Fort Lauderdale International Airports, please be aware that they are 3.5 hours and 4 hours from Key West (without unforeseen delays, accidents, or traffic). We do not recommend flying into Miami or Fort Lauderdale on the day of the pageant, as registration and check-in begins at 11am.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 7 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Shopping:

Publix Supermarket and Pharmacy (2 miles away) 3316 N. Roosevelt Blvd Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-2225 Store Hours: 7am – 11pm

CVS 2790 N. Roosevelt Blvd Key West FL 33040 (305) 294-6693 Store Hours: Monday – Saturday 8am – 10pm, Sunday 9am – 8pm

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 8 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Medical:

Lower Keys Medical Center (Hospital) (4 miles away) 5900 College Road Key West FL 33040 (305) 294-5531

Truman Medical Center (walk-in clinic) (1.5 miles away) 540 Truman Avenue Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-4399

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 9 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Rules and Regulations

Please read the following rules and regulations carefully. Southernmost USofA Pageants will strictly follow these rules. Therefore, it is important that you read the rules and regulations thoroughly. There will be no exceptions.

1. Contestants for Miss Gay Southernmost USofA and Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic must be born males.

2. Contestants for Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic must be at least 40 years of age. Contestants will need to provide valid identification at registration.

3. Contestants must be 21 years old to enter Miss Gay Southernmost USofA. Contestants will need to provide valid identification at registration.

4. Judging will be on a total point accumulated system. Score sheets will be provided by Miss Gay USofA Pageants. Ties will be broken by the contestant with the higher score in the Talent category.

5. Contestants will be judged in the following categories: Personal Interview, Talent, and Evening Gown.

6. Talent will be limited to seven (7) minutes. Prop setup and teardown will be limited to five (5) minutes total. Talents over seven (7) minutes will have administrative points deducted. Deductions will be five (5) points per minute for all minutes over the seven (7) minutes allowed.

7. Any type of talent presentation is acceptable except those that may cause injury to the audience or any other person. No glitter, fire, projectiles, or water may be used in any Talent presentation. No live animals or reptiles may be used in a talent presentation.

8. Music must be turned in on CD. You should have your talent number recorded as track 1 of your CD and your crown number on track 2 of the same CD. Do not place any other music on this CD. You may not use commercial CD’s that have multiple tracks.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 10 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com 9. The use or dispensing of illegal drugs or marijuana will not be tolerated while a contestant is participating in a Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant event. Immediate disqualification will result for those who break this rule.

10.Once interview begins, any contestant that is not at the appointed place at the appointed time will lose administrative points. Deductions will be five (5) points per violation. If a contestant arrives to compete in the pageant after the Interview Competition has begun, five (5) administrative points will be deducted for every thirty minutes of tardiness (5 points for 1 to 30 minutes late, 10 points for 31 to 60 minutes late, and so on).

11.Any contestant, contestant’s dancer(s), helper(s), etc. who is caught in the act of stealing or tampering with another person's property will be disqualified and removed from the San Carlos Institute Theater.

12.Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageants do not discriminate against entertainers with silicone and/or hormones. The use of silicone and/or hormones will not be considered by any judge scoring the contestants.

13.Once a contestant has placed 1st Runner-Up in a Miss Gay USofA Preliminary Pageant they may not continue to compete in that system. They must go to the national pageant with that placement.

14.USofA Pageants and Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageants reserve the right to make any decision concerning any matter not covered by these Rules and Regulations.

15.Any contestant that qualifies for Nationals at Miss Gay Southernmost USofA or Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic and fails to attend will be barred from competing in, entertaining, judging or attending any USofA Pageants event until they have paid back their promoter all prize monies and paid a $250 fine to the National Promoter.

16.Winners and 1st Runners-Up to Miss Southernmost USofA and Miss Southernmost USofA Classic MUST sign a contract the night of the pageant with Southernmost USofA Pageants or they will not receive any of the prizes and will forfeit their placements.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 11 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Categories

Personal Interview

The purpose of the Personal Interview in the USofA System is to allow the Judges some insight into the character of each contestant. During the interview the Judges are also afforded the opportunity to evaluate each contestant’s basic qualities, such as ability to communicate, intelligence, attitude, composure, etc. The judges may also gather information about a contestant’s professional or personal life.

The basic nature of the Personal Interview is intended to be casual and relaxed. The suggested attire for the Personal Interview is business or business casual. However, each contestant should select clothing in which she or he feels at ease, whether it is male or female attire. Your interview will be held at the hotel; the actual room will be announced during registration.

Presentation

There will be a presentation of contestants at the 2016 Miss Gay Southernmost USofA and Classic Pageants. This allows the audience an opportunity to view all contestants prior to competition. This will not be a judged category, however there will be a prize awarded for Best Presentation Costume. The theme is red, white, and blue. Contestants who are presenting for Miss Gay Southernmost USofA classic are to wear red, reigning crown holders are to wear white, and contestants competing in Miss Gay Southernmost USofA are to wear blue. All participants may wear any style dress, as long as it red, white, or blue (depending on division).

Evening Gown

Evening gowns may be of any color or style. They must, however, be full length. The gown must fit well, the contestant must model it elegantly, and all of the elements (hair, make-up, accessories, shoes, and gown) must come together for an overall look that makes the contestant look her very best. Evening Gown competition begins with each contestant modeling her gown for the judges. This is a free modeling period and the contestant can use all of the stage area.

During the contestant’s modeling, the emcee will read the gown’s designer, accessory designer, makeup artist, hair stylist, and sponsors. Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 12 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com One of the hallmarks of the USofA system is comparative modeling in Evening Gown competition. All of the contestants will be brought back onto the stage in one line. This gives the judges the opportunity to comparatively score the contestants.

More specifics on gown competition:

The Miss Gay USofA Evening Gown competition has traditionally rewarded contestants who bring a unique combination of evening gown, hair, makeup, accessories, modeling, and poise to the stage. That has not changed. The USofA System has often rewarded gowns that include lots of rhinestones, beading, etc., as well as hair and accessories that may be described as "high drag.” These are still appropriate for Evening Gown Competition in the Miss Gay Southernmost USofA and Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic Pageants.

While couture gowns are also appropriate for the Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Evening Gown category, this is not creative evening wear competition, and gowns that are costumes should be avoided. We also discourage gowns that are so heavily embellished that the contestant cannot model them elegantly.

Also, judges are asked to educate themselves about current fashion, and contestants should be aware that a gown, though beautiful, may be outdated and therefore not score as well as it might otherwise. Further, a gown with few or even no embellishments (stones, etc.) can score just as well as a fully embellished gown if the overall look (make-up, hair, accessories, shoes, poise, fit, modeling) make the contestant look her best.

Talent

The third and final category of competition is Talent. Talent may be any type of entertainment presentation as long as it does not create the danger of injury to either the contestant or anyone else. Talent Presentations are limited to seven (7) minutes in length. Prop set-up and knockdown time is limited to five (5) minutes. There is no restriction on the number of persons who may be involved in the talent presentation.

No fire, water, projectiles, or loose glitter is allowed by any contestant in this category of competition.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 13 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Talent music must be on a high-quality CD.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 14 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com How to Register

To REGISTER for Miss Gay Southernmost USofA and Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Classic Mail your check with entry form to:

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA 1018 Truman Avenue #2 Key West FL 33040

(ENTRY FORM ON NEXT PAGE. PLEASE PRINT IN INK)

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 15 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com MISS GAY SOUTHERNMOST USofA and USofA CLASSIC ENTRY FORM

Stage Name: ______

Legal Name: ______

Address:______

______

Phone: ______

Email:______

Date of Birth:______

______Sign Legal Name Date

By my signature I agree to release and hold harmless USofA Pageantry, The official Miss Gay USofA and Classic, and Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageantry, their agents and employees from any liabilities, and/or responsibilities whatsoever, from associated with or arising out of my participation in the pageant and/or the title of Miss Gay Southernmost USofA and Classic. Including but not limited to personal injury and/or damage to personal property regardless of whether the loss, injury, and/or damage occurred before, during or after the pageant or any related activity.

I also hereby release myself from rights to any video taping (sound and/or video) and photography. I understand that I have no rights to any recordings that I appear in or on or the future sales thereof. I hereby agree that my name and photographs taken of me during the pageant may be used for publications, promotional purposes or in any advertising publicity. By my signature above, I affirm and attest that I have read the Rules and Regulations of the pageant and agree and abide by the same.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 16 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 17 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com Contact Information

Please do not hesitate to contact Les Steele or Beth Moyes if you need any additional information or have any questions. You can also visit our website at: www.missgaysouthernmost.com.

Les Steele (305) 731-6557 [email protected]

Beth Moyes (305) 747-8563 [email protected]

Thank you for considering Southernmost USofA Pageants as your preliminary competition.

Southernmost USofA Pageants is a preliminary pageant new to the USofA Pagentry in 2016. We have over 25 years of experience in pageantry and are dedicated to hosting honest, fair, and professional pageants. We ensure that all contestants, judges, and audience members are treated with respect. Thank you for your participation and support.

Miss Gay Southernmost USofA Pageant & Classic 18 www.MissGaySouthernmost.com