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Saipan joins Gay Pride Month celebrations
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Posted on Jun 26 2005
The CNMI did not leave the month of June without joining the rest of the world in celebrating Gay Pride Month with two events held Friday night.
A parade of innovative and spectacular fantasy costumes, a lip-synching contest, and elegant gown competitions ruled the night at the Liberation Day carnival in Garapan Fishing Base, Beach Road.
Hundreds of local spectators witnessed 14 gay impersonators showcase their beauty and talents in a series of competitions that organizer Irwin Jamisola said was a first in the CNMI.
An appreciative audience greeted the performances with shrieks and claps as the candidates shook their booties and lip-synched to the tunes of their favorite entertainers—from Korean to Filipino novelty songs, to Broadway to discotheque divas; to Jennifer Holliday and Grace Jones; and from Debbie Gibson to Jennifer Lopez.
Dubbed as “Paper Dolls in Action, The Greatest Performance! A Lip Synch, Evening Gown and Fantasy Costume Competition,” the show produced a winner in Archie from Tinian, who floored the audience and judges with his rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s I am what I am.
A candidate named Rhoda, who wore a canary-yellow evening gown and a white fantasy costume with huge white roses as headdress, was singled out as the winner of both the Evening Gown and Fantasy Costumes categories.
While the gay competition was going on at the Liberation Day Festival, another gay pride celebration was going on at the Remington’s Café in Garapan.
More than a hundred people packed the bar, with guests—both men and women—wearing their most outlandish drag costumes and “fashionista” outfits to celebrate Gay Pride Month.
Due to the limited space, organizers had to control the flow of customers to the venue.
The party, also a first in the CNMI, provided some entertainment as drag queens went up the dance floor and did their Priscilla Queen of the Desert impersonations. Raffle prizes were also given away to lucky guests that evening. The party ended at 2am.
