DeLand Pride Pageant a celebration of LGBTQ+ people amid new laws targeting community
DELAND — Pageant contestants have plenty to worry about when competing for a title.
From hair and makeup to outfit changes and choreographed performances, there are myriad things on their minds as they put their hearts and souls on the stage in the hopes of being crowned a winner.
If any of the participants in the annual DeLand Pride Pageant were worried about more than that, such as new laws targeting drag performances, it didn't show.
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As forecasted on the DeLand Pride website, contestants in Thursday night's pageant brought "spirited performances, fantastic costumes and friendly competition."
Pageant coordinator Kirk T. DaVinci, who also serves as DeLand Pride's special events chair, said because of the new law, attendees had to be at least 18 years old, and the show was recorded but not live-streamed.
Before an almost-full house at the Athens Theatre, 10 people showed off DeLand-inspired costumes and gave performances that ranged from humorous to serious.
Dante Del Valle, who competed as Señor Rita, brought a bit of both.
"I just wanted to lead with being myself, and I think it paid off for me in the end," the nonbinary Orlando resident said by phone Friday.
The 27-year-old was crowned as the 2023 Mx DeLand Pride representative.
DeLand Pride, an organization that's part of the nonprofit Support Volusia, Inc., added the Mx category to this year's competition in an effort to include more gender non-conforming individuals.
After stepdown performances by the outgoing Mister and Miss DeLand Pride, King Neal Debonair and Aaliyah Nouveau, respectively, Scott Mena, who competed as Theater Guy, and Black Magix Royal were crowned the new representatives.
Sharing stories
Señor Rita's performance during the talent portion highlighted part of their Nuyorican heritage.
While lipsynching to "The World Was Wide Enough" from the musical "Hamilton," footage from The New York Times' documentary on the 1970 Lincoln Hospital occupation played in the background.
The Young Lords, a group of Puerto Ricans who started as a street gang and turned into activists, staged an occupation of the South Bronx facility in demand of better health care for the patients, many of whom were lower income.
Señor Rita said while they enjoy performing in bars, that's where people are usually looking to see flips, splits and more lighthearted moves, so they enjoyed doing something more personal.
Theater Guy's talent performance drew inspiration from his own experience coming out and his work as a missionary.
He said he didn't want to just spoof "The Book of Mormon," a musical comedy about two missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so he went with music by contemporary gospel duo Mary Mary.
"With everything politically that is happening, a lot of people now are scared to come out," the 36-year-old Deltona resident said. "With this performance, I hope people see it and know it's OK to be yourself."
Black Magix Royal said she wanted to use her performance to show the ongoing battle for rights and health care for Black and transgender people.
Wearing a sparkling white mermaid-style gown, the 24-year-old Orlando resident lipsynched to "My Mind" by Yebba while footage from recent and decades-old protests for the aforementioned groups played in the background.
The performer, who goes by Magix, said the piece felt like a protest given the current political climate.
She said it shows that the LGBTQ+ community isn't going to be run off and will "continue to fight until every human is treated fairly."
Supportive community ignites contestants' creativity
In total, contestants were judged in four areas:
The Anita Waistline DeLand Creative Costume Presentation.
Evening wear.
Question and answer.
Talent presentation.
The first part saw contestants draw inspiration from local businesses, historic buildings and personal experiences.
Señor Rita based their costume on Skydive DeLand while their direct competition, Zara Nouveau, donned a sparkling gown inspired by Volusia County's historic courthouse, known for its Neoclassical architecture, clock and patinated dome.
During the five-hour event, DeLand City Commissioner Daniel Reed read a proclamation from the city in recognition of June as Pride Month, a nationally recognized period that began following the Stonewall riots of 1969.
Reed received applause and shouts of support after reading each "whereas" clause in the proclamation.
Someone in the audience shouted "Amen" after the first one: "Whereas all residents deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, compassion and justice regardless of gender, age, race, religion, economic status or sexual orientation."
Reed, who owns Café DaVinci, where Aaliyah Nouveau has hosted a weekly drag show for more than two years, was deemed the Honorary Mister DeLand Pride.
DeLand resident Mary Taylor Green was named the Honorary Miss DeLand Pride for supporting the community and driving members to and from protests for LGBTQ+ rights in Tallahassee during the legislative session.
Who won in each category?
Ten people participated in this year's pageant: four in both the Miss and Mister categories and two in the Mx category.
The panel of judges picked winners for each element of the competition in addition to an overall winner and representative for the year.
Best creative costume:
Ms.: Thagreat Bright, piece inspired by time on the Marching Bulldogs, DeLand High School's band.
Mr.: Theater Guy, piece inspired by downtown's Cliff's Books.
Mx.: Zara Nouveau, piece inspired by historic courthouse.
Best evening wear:
Ms.: Thagreat Bright.
Mr.: Dante V. Cardoza.
Mx.: TIE (Señor Rita and Zara Nouveau).
Best Q&A:
Ms.: TIE (Crystal Vahzz and Black Magix Royal).
Mr.: Karl Withakay.
Mx.: Señor Rita.
Best talent performance:
Ms.: Black Magix Royal.
Mr.: Theater Guy.
Mx.: Señor Rita.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: DeLand Pride Pageant celebrates LGBTQ+ people amid new laws targeting community
