The 2011 WESA Pageant marked 24 fabulous years of entertainment and Community benevolence.

In 1987 Gregg Welliver, Mark Sutherland and Art Gullett, met to discuss a way of thanking their new team sponsor, "Celebrities". Mark suggested doing a drag show and inviting the rest of the league members to watch. After further discussion, the event evolved into a show in which each team would coerce a member into representing it in a competition known as The WESA Pageant.

According to tradition, on the evening of the Pageant, each contestant draws a number to decide the order in which he/she will appear in the swimsuit and evening wear/talent competitions.

During the swimsuit competition, the contestants, who must wear a sash bearing the team’s name, are paraded on-stage in all of their glory, while the host reads aloud his/her biography.  The biographies are usually prepared by the contestant’s coach and teammates who take great pleasure in humiliating the contestant – the dirtier the biography, the better! 

After all the contestants have “displayed” themselves in the swimsuit competition, the evening wear/talent competition begins.  This portion of the evening is where the contestants really show their metal.  Bejeweled, coiffed and fabulously clothed, the contestants “drag” the audience through performance after dazzling performance - extra points for creativity and nastiness!      

Once the competitions have completed, the judges select three finalists to answer skill testing questions. Based on the finalists’ responses, the judges then select the 2nd runner-up, the first runner-up and a winner, who is crowned Miss/Mr WESA.

Miss/Mr WESA’s duties are not to be taken lightly!  As ambassador for the League, he or she is the epitome of grace and elegance – he or she truly is WESA’s Jackie Kennedy. The only expected duty is that The WESA Pageant Winner will return the following year to do a “step-down” performance and pass the crown to the new winner. In the event that Miss/Mr WESA cannot fulfill her duties, or does so dishonorably, the 1st runner-up takes over his/her duties and the crown. In the past, some WESA Pageant Winners have performed at other events and participated in the Gay Pride Parade. 

The first crown for The WESA Pageant was a cardboard creation made by the elementary school class of WESA member.  Since then, there have been many reconstructions.

The first host of the Pageant was Mr. Bill Munroe, who not only hosted until 1995 but was instrumental in helping the founders pull the first show together. Since 1995, there have been several hosts - Willy Taylor, Art Gullett (aka Vagina Moss), Sydney Malcolm (aka Chamomile) Klaus Kohlmeyer (aka Klausette) and many others whom have delighted audiences and helped usher-in new WESA Pageant Winners.

Over the past 23 years many local charities have benefited from the $100,000 that have been raised by this annual event. The WESA Pageant has become one of the Gay Community’s most anticipated and celebrated events!