What do Disney princesses, beta blockers, masters degrees, and Heelys have in common? They were all represented at Princess Manor last Thursday.
Last week, many gathered at the event hall on Nassau Avenue to witness and compete in an all-gender beauty pageant benefitting Brooklyn Community Kitchen and their decades of work providing free meals to neighbors every week.
The pageant, hosted by comedian Nonye Brown-West, was indeed “pure camp, super silly” as described by its organizers prior, but what it lacked in seriousness it made up for in raw talent and moments of tenderness.
The ten contestants hailed from across Brooklyn and Queens, both longtime residents and new, and they took part in introductory, talent, formalwear, and Q&A rounds, each starting off with their own tagline reminiscent of a Real Housewives intro.
Talents included dance numbers, voguing, original songs and covers (from Tate McRae to The Little Mermaid to Queen Latifah and beyond), a Nacho Libre-inspired striptease, and more.
While there were countless irreverent moments, there was also no shortage of poignant, resonant statements about protecting queer art and the community; contestant Cunning Stunt held up a “Do not erase us” flag referring to recent acts of removing trans references from the Stonewall National Monument website and, when asked what makes them proud, Mistah Coles responded, “I’m proud to be here right now, that I’ve reached 70 years old as a Black lesbian.”
The show was a true labor of community love, with time, effort, and goods being donated locally, including a number of raffle prizes from businesses including PRESS Modern Massage, Big Night, and Beer Street.
Ultimately, judges Paulie Gee, Paperboy Love Prince, and writer Jazz Charton crowned Coles the winner, with Cunning Stunt as first runner up and Zoe Costello named Miss Congeniality.
“When I first heard about the pageant, I was sitting on the toilet listening to the radio,” Coles reminisced.
And the rest, of course, was history. We’ll be eagerly awaiting next year!
To support Brooklyn Community Kitchen all year round, donate here.