Gaysha Starr for
Miss Gay Seattle

To the Board of Directors and Membership of ISCSORE, the Gay Seattle Lineage, and the residents of Seattle:

My name is Gaysha Starr, and it is with immense pride that I share this letter to introduce myself and explain why I would like to apply and campaign for Miss Gay Seattle 62.

I have been a member of Seattle’s LGBTQIA community since turning 21 in January 1993, and I found the art of drag and the Imperial Court by April of that year. Little did I know that drag and volunteering would become my vehicle for raising money, giving back to nonprofits, and learning how to entertain and host ... and would eventually help me find myself as a proud trans woman.

For the past 33 and a half years, I’ve had the privilege of working with and for different nonprofits, responding to the needs of our communities. In the ’90s, that meant supporting efforts to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic through Bailey Boushay, Chicken Soup Brigade, NW AIDS Foundation ... now known as Lifelong ... and POCAAN, as well as supporting personal safety on Capitol Hill through QStreet Patrol.

In the early aughts, I helped raise money for the Imperial Court’s JC Graytop Scholarship Fund. I was also a contributing writer for the Seattle Gay News, shining a spotlight on the drag community and nightlife before social media. From 2010 to 2019, I raised money for GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, and helped pass Referendum 74 in support of marriage equality in Washington State. In the last decade, I worked with Drag Out The Vote to help bring LGBTQIA+ voters to the polls.

I have also served as a pageant titleholder, including Miss Neighbours 1993, La Femme Magnifique International 1994, Miss Gay Washington 1996, Empress of Seattle Olympia 29 in 1999, and Miss Gay Filipino Emeritus. I’ve also had the honor of being voted Community Grand Marshal for Seattle Pride in 2022, and I am currently in my second year as a board member for Gen Pride, the Northwest’s only 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving LGBTQIA+ seniors.

The one title that has eluded me is Miss Gay Seattle. I lost Miss Gay Seattle 30 in 1993, having just started my drag career. In hindsight, that experience led me to other accomplishments and experiences I am very proud of. Usually, when drag entertainers are in their 50s, they step back to let the “younger generations” have a chance, look forward to their titleholder anniversaries, and take their place in the back of the ballroom.

At 54, I’m at a stage in life where I respect traditions and protocol but am open to new ways of fundraising, entertainment, and leadership. As Miss Gay Seattle 62, I’d like to draw on my decades of experience and vast network to commit to a year of fundraising, community volunteering, and, most importantly, FUN. I’d like to reengage as many former court members and titleholders as possible and welcome more Seattle residents to our shows and events.

While I know it’s not common for someone who has already held titles deemed higher than Miss Gay Seattle to apply, I hope you’ll give me a fair chance to campaign and earn your vote at the 62nd Annual Gay Seattle Pageant on Saturday, November 7, as your next Miss Gay Seattle.

In Service,