Eleven of the sexiest gay men from around the world came together at Honey & Dora in De Waterkant on Friday to vie for the title of Mr Gay World 2023, as well as to stand against the stigmatisation of the LGBTQI+ community.
The coveted title eventually went to Troy Michael Smith, 36, who represented the small island of Guam, a US territory.
Troy, a real estate agent who advocates for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, burst into tears when he heard his name being called.
“I am feeling very incredible and so happy. With this title I will continue with my advocacy for suicide prevention and to keep that going forward.
“My overall goal is to try and help save lives and that is exactly what I want to do,” he said.
Troy is championing the cause in honour of his late friend, former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, who took her own life.
“This means the world to me because suicide prevention is everything. My motivation behind entering the pageant is to end the stigmas surrounding mental health and suicide prevention as it is something that I have been fighting for the past 10 years of my life.”
The delegates who took part in the competition were from South Africa, Guam, Chile, Great Britain, Thailand, the USA, Australia, the Philippines, Spain, Belgium and India.
They wowed the judges and audience with national costumes, Bearwear, formal attire and swimwear.
The audience went bos as the handsome ouens came out in their Speedos, showing off their tjappies while also throwing in a dance move or two.
The judges asked the delegates some pertinent questions, which they had to answer on the spot, regarding the LGTBQIA+ community, such as the challenges they face as gay men and how to overcome them.
Bringing the entertainment was Hunter Blue, Logan Tombra and drag sensation Adam the Glamour Clown, who was also the hostess alongside media personality Danilo Acquisto.
David Allwood from the UK was first runner-up, while Dion Alexander from Australia was named the second runner-up.
marsha.dean@inl.co.za