The Miss Gay Scotland competition aims to subvert the traditional beauty contest into something much more empowering
A long time ago, I was named Miss America. Okay, I was nine years old and the contest took place in Spain, and America was just the name of the hotel, but still – the title was mine for a week. And now, despite my clippered hair and refusal to wear skirts, I can compete again, should I find myself so inclined.
Yes, 29 September sees the Scottish heat of Miss Gay UK 2007, the final of which will be held in Brighton in November. It’s hard to imagine anything more firmly associated with mainstream heterosexual culture than a beauty contest, so it’s interesting that the LGBT community would choose to appropriate such an event. We have a long history of reclaiming the tools of our oppression and alienation, but is there any value in such contests? And is it actually useful to create a new set of beauty standards for lesbians and bisexual women?
