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Gender-bending the rules

Published: 09/10/2009 05:00

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Gay beauty pageants are gaining momentum without official recognition.

Pre-game jitters: Contestants prepare backstage at Miss Angel, one of many gay beauty contests becoming increasingly popular in Ho Chi Minh City.

Like many young people, Lam Thi wanted nothing more than to walk the stage at a glamorous beauty contest.

But the options are limited for gay men such as Thi, who identifies herself as a woman.

So when Thi heard about Miss Angel, a beauty contest strictly for gay men, she did everything she could to compete, and win.

But it was more than self-interest that inspired her, she also wanted to bring greater acceptance to the gay community.

“Through such contests, I hope society will learn to keep an open mind about gays,” she said.

But Miss Angel and other beauty pageants for homosexuals are not licensed by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Performing Arts, which has to approve all live events in Vietnam.

Current regulations state that transsexuals cannot take part in beauty contests. The law, however, doesn’t mention anything about pageants for homosexuals. But in Vietnam, it is commonly accepted that if something is not mentioned in the law, it is forbidden.

Still, several gay pageants every year are attracting scores of contestants who say they just want to be considered normal. Though prize winnings are usually low, around US$100-300, most gay beauty-queen hopefuls spend an average of $600 getting dolled up for the events, according to Minh Quan, director of Miss Angel.

‘Just for fun’

Miss Angel was first held in 2005 by The Gioi Thu Ba (The Third World) Ltd. and gay club Bau Troi Xanh (Blue Sky). Contestants, aged 16-24, compete in three rounds including a female costume competition and a session in which they must demonstrate their knowledge about HIV/AIDS and safe sex.

The judges panel consist of make-up artists, psychologists and members of the Ho Chi Minh City’s AIDS Prevention Committee.

Minh Quan, 29-year-old director of The Gioi Thu Ba Ltd. and moderator of thegioithu3. com, which boasts the largest number of members of all gay-themed websites in Vietnam, said he held Vietnam’s first gay beauty contest at a hotel in HCMC “just for fun.”

Quan, who has come out publicly about his homosexuality, said a group of about 20 gay men competed in the first competition.

But as support grew through his website, which had 8,000 members by 2006, he decided to organize larger, more highly-publicized competitions.

“Later contests drew a lot of media attention with headlines like ‘Homosexuals vie for beauty queen title,’” Quan said.

“We received a lot of support from the public in the beginning. Many thought it was just a normal event. But, of course, there was strong opposition as well.”

This year’s pageant was held in June and attracted hundreds of contestants from HCMC and other provinces.

An audience member who wished to remain anonymous said most of the contestants were transvestites but that some transsexuals had also participated in the event.

But it was 20-year-old Thi’s dream that came true at the 4th Miss Angel.

In an interview with Thanh Nien after being crowned the queen of the contest, the native of the southwestern province of Tay Ninh, said she had had breast augmentation surgery and would undergo more complicated sex-related surgery in the near future.

Like beauty queens in any other pageant, the 4th Miss Angel said she would use her position to carry out charity work.

“I will launch an awareness campaign calling on homosexuals to have safe sex to prevent AIDS.”

Dignity

The first Prince Style Contest for lesbians was held in August by thegioikhac.com, becoming the first public contest for lesbians in HCMC, open to anyone from southern provinces aged 17-28.

The moderator of “thegioikhac” (another world), who goes by the name Ivy, said Vietnamese lesbians tended to hide their sexuality more than gay men in Vietnam.

Organizers were worried that turnout would be low, said Ivy. But more than enough contestants competed, with twelve making it to the final round.

Ivy said that the best thing about Prince Style and other similar pageants, such as Men Style and Mr. Ikon – held by gay youth website taoxanh.net – was that they brought a sense of pride and dignity to the lesbian community, with contestants unafraid to express themselves and showcase their unique features.

Most of the Prince Style contestants said they took part in the event as a way to support the gay community, in which they felt comfortable to be themselves and live their lives however they chose.

Many said they often had to hide their true selves in their everyday lives for fear of retribution from their friends, family, coworkers and society in general.

Opening up

After the first contest for lesbians made its debut in HCMC, Dang Linh, moderator of lesbian website bangaivn.net, said she hoped to organize contests in the north next year.

Minh Quan is now also training contestants for the next Miss Angel Contest as well as Prince Style. Quan said his biggest wish was that gay pageants would one day be officially licensed so they can expand and attract larger sponsorships.

Quan, who added that he also wanted to organize a contest for transsexuals next year, said that he longed for the day that the gay community would have the full acceptance of the rest of Vietnamese society.

VietNamNet/TN

Provide by Vietnam Travel

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