Miss Gay America pageant continues at Robinson Center – Arkansas Times

In this midst of all this SB43 bullshit, we somehow missed that the Miss Gay America pageant — or the “world’s first, longest-running, and most prestigious” drag competition — has been happening under our noses at Robinson Center for the past two days. The event started on Tuesday but continues through Friday, Jan. 20. You can still get tickets to tonight and tomorrow’s performances, both at 7 p.m., which will feature the final crowning of Miss Gay America 2023.

Miss Gay America and Arkansas have a long history. Little Rock’s Norman Jones, who runs Triniti and Discovery nightclubs, was the first winner of Miss Gay America in 1972 and gained ownership of the pageant from 1974 through 2008, when he retired. This year will be the tenth time Arkansas has played host to Miss Gay America, including last year, the 50th anniversary.

Michael Dutzer, the pageant’s current owner, testified to lawmakers at the Capitol this morning against SB43, a bill that would define drag show performances as “adult-oriented businesses,” and also seemingly target transgender people for merely existing.