Miss Continental
| Formation | 1980 |
|---|---|
| Type | Drag beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Baton Show Lounge |
| Location | |
Key people | Jim Flint (founder and CEO) |
| Website | Official Facebook |
Miss Continental is an annual drag queen pageantry system founded in 1980 by Jim Flint. The pageant itself takes place at the Baton Show Lounge in Chicago, Illinois, and is usually held over Labor Day weekends.[1]
Competitions
Also known as the Continental Pageantry System, the pageant features different competitions.
In 1991, the Miss Continental Pageantry System debuted Miss Continental Plus, a pageant for competitors weighing 225 pounds or more.
Miss Continental Elite was created in 2004 for entertainers who are over the age of 40.
Mr. Continental was formed in 2003 for male entertainers.[1][2]
In 2023, the Mr. and Miss Continental Newcomer was added.[3]
Formerly, both Miss Continental Plus and Miss Continental Elite had been held each year over the Easter weekend, in Chicago; now all are held during the Labor Day weekend.
Winners
Legend:
† indicates that the contestant is deceased.
| Year | Miss Continental | Miss Continental Plus | Miss Continental Elite | Mister Continental | Miss Continental Newcomer | Mr. Continental Newcomer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Chilli Pepper | |||||
| 1981 | Heather Fontaine | |||||
| 1982 | Tiffany Arieagus | |||||
| 1983 | Chena Black | |||||
| 1984 | Cherine Alexander † | |||||
| 1985 | Maya Douglas | |||||
| 1986 | Tandi Andrews † | |||||
| 1987 | Dana Douglas | |||||
| 1988 | Kelly Lauren | |||||
| 1989 | Lakesha Lucky | |||||
| 1990 | Chanel Dupree | |||||
| 1991 | Amber Richards † | Ginger Grant † | ||||
| 1992 | Mimi Marks | Denise Russell | ||||
| 1993 | Monica Munro | Lady Catiria † | ||||
| 1994 | Cézanne | Erica Christian | ||||
| 1995 | Lady Catiria † | Carmella Marcella Garcia † | ||||
| 1996 | Paris Frantz | Victoria Le Paige | ||||
| 1997 | Tasha Long | Dena Cass | ||||
| 1998 | Michelle Dupree | Santana T. Summers † | ||||
| 1999 | Tommie Ross | Terri Williams | ||||
| 2000 | Danielle Hunter | Tumara Mahorning | ||||
| 2001 | Candis Cayne | Angel Sheridan | ||||
| 2002 | Yoshiko Oshiro | Chevelle Brooks | ||||
| 2003 | Erika Norell | Victoria Parker | Carl Harris (Dethroned) Ray Matthews | |||
| 2004 | Erica Andrews † | Anjelica Sanchez | Nikki Adams | Antonio Edwards | ||
| 2005 | Domanique Shappelle | Amaya | Barbara Herr | Tony Desario | ||
| 2006 | Victoria Le Paige | Desiree DeMornay | Maya Douglas | Simba Hall | ||
| 2007 | Necole Luv Dupree | Tajma Hall † | Danielle Hunter | Rasean Montrese | ||
| 2008 | Tulsi | Mercedes Tyler | Angel Sheridan | David "Freklz" Hunter | ||
| 2009 | Armani | Coco Van Cartier | Michelle Fighter | Christopher Iman | ||
| 2010 | Mokha Montrese | Roxxxy Andrews | Electra | Nick Gray | ||
| 2011 | Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington | Chelsea Pearl † | Daesha Richards | Phillip Alexander | ||
| 2012 | Sasha Colby | Tanisha Cassadine † | Dana Douglas | Angel Saez | ||
| 2013 | Naysha Lopez | Whitney Paige † Farra N. Hyte |
Kourtney Paige Van Wales | Kalil Valentino | ||
| 2014 | Brooke Lynn Hytes | Tahjee Iman | Lady Charisse Estrada † | Joey Taylor | ||
| 2015 | Tiffany T. Hunter | Kofi | Chantal Reshae | Mykul J. Valentine | ||
| 2016 | Jazell Barbie Royale | Natasha Douglas | Teryl Lynn Foxx | Antwuan Steele | ||
| 2017 | Shantell D’Marco | Keke Velazquez-Lord | Fontasia L'Amour | Ramon Ventura | ||
| 2018 | Stasha Sanchez | Chy'enne Valentino | Lorna Vando Misty Knight (Honorary) † |
Sir Valentino | ||
| 2019 | Vanessa Van Cartier | Darcel Stevens | A'zsia Dupree | Desi M. Andrews | ||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2021 | Juliana Rivera | Britney Taylor | Yosmein C. Starr | Travis Stancil | ||
| 2022 | Sunny Dee-Lite | Rachel Meredith | Layla LaRue | Syvon Sinatra Sanchez | ||
| 2023 | Zhané Dawlingz[2] | Lindsay Paige | Taylor St. James | Noel Anaya | ||
| 2024 | Dominink[6] | Dioscar Montesino[6] | ||||
Popular media
The Queens, a documentary directed by Mark Saxenmeyer, premiered in 2020 and focused on the 2011 competition.[7][8][9]
See also
References
- Richard Knight Jr. (January 17, 1990). Glamazons: Here she comes, with a few hundred pounds of sequins and a massive will to win. Chicago Tribune
- Barbara Brotman (August 2, 1992). Gender gap: Lines blur as drag contestants give it all they've got-and more. Chicago Tribune
External links
- ^ a b Collo-Julin, Salem (2023-04-06). "Best internationally known drag pageant system based in Chicago". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ a b Noyce, Eleanor (2023-09-06). "Black trans woman Zhané Dawlingz Wiley crowned Miss Continental". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Continental Pageantry". www.thebatonshowlounge.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Every Miss Continental Pageant Winner Over the Years". www.out.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "Every Miss Continental Pageant Winner Over the Years". Yahoo Life. 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ a b "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ "The Queens". The Reporters Inc. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ Corrall, Cody (2020-09-04). "The Queens takes you behind the scenes of a Chicago drag pageant". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ Ballew, Jonathan (2019-03-01). "Legendary Drag Club The Baton Opens In Uptown Friday After Decades In River North: 'It's A New Chapter'". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved 2023-10-16.