Philadelphia Crowned Host City for U.S. Mr. Gay Competition Again

PHILADELPHIA, March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Noble Beast Foundation, in collaboration with the International Mr. Gay (IMG) Competition committee, has selected Philadelphia to host the U.S. Mr. Gay competition in November.  This is the second consecutive year that Philadelphia will welcome contestants from all over the country fighting to be named the new 2012 U.S. Mr. Gay titleholder.  The competition is scheduled for November 11th and 12th.  As they did in 2010, the national committee enlisted Bruce Yelk's Nightlifegay.com -- Philadelphia's premier LGBT event promotions company -- to plan and execute the competition weekend.  

Philadelphia raised the bar for the U.S. Mr. Gay Competition in 2010, which included a record -- 22 contestants, several celebrity judges, including Michael Musto (Village Voice) and Mickey Boardman (Paper Magazine), and over 700 fans at the opening party and main event.  After the dust settled, Mr. Columbia, South Carolina, Eddie Rabon, walked away with the title of 2010 U.S. Mr. Gay.  In addition to a rousing live competition, the jam-packed main event featured show-stopping drag productions, live vocal performances, and sidesplitting one-liners from hosts Frank DeCaro (Sirius OUT Q radio) and Brittany Lynn.  

"Last year's competition far surpassed all expectations of the IMG committee," said Don Spradlin, founder and President of IMG.  "The City of Philadelphia is very accessible, friendly and offers one of the most vibrant Gayborhoods in the country.  These qualities make it the perfect location for the U.S. Mr. Gay competition again in 2011.  I am very excited to once again work with Bruce Yelk and Nightlifegay.com - who has proven to be one of the best in the business."

U.S. Mr. Gay brings together contestants representing the nation's most prestigious cities, a wide variety of celebrity judges, performers, and hosts, as well as spectators from all around the country.  A series of competitive categories and performances will culminate in the naming of the 2012 U.S. Mr. Gay titleholder.  The winner of this competition will go on to compete in International Mr. Gay (IMG). The IMG Competition is the largest and oldest running international contest to select an ambassador or spokesman to support the mission of the sponsoring nonprofit corporation, the Noble Beast Foundation.

With a year of experience under his belt, Yelk believes that the U.S. Mr. Gay Competition in Philadelphia will again raise the event's profile and visibility.  "We built a lot of momentum in 2010.  Philadelphia's regional LGBT community members opened their arms wide and embraced the opportunity to be the first east coast host for U.S. Mr. Gay," said Yelk.  "But last year was just the beginning, and I guarantee that 2011 will be a bigger, better, and more fabulous event."

The schedule, venues, contestants, and entertainment for the U.S. Mr. Gay Competition will be released periodically on www.nightlifegay.com.  To book your trip to Philadelphia for the U.S. Mr. Gay Competition and view the local LGBT visitor's guide, go to www.visitphilly.com.  

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation