Andrew Slota and Amy Finkenbine were two of six contestants competing to best represent the female and male gender roles.
Slota best represented femininity while Finkenbine best represented masculinity in the Mr. and Miss BG Beauty Pageant Wednesday night.
“I feel honored,” Slota said. “This was my first time competing in a pageant, and the other competitors had more experience than I did. I’m still in shock that I won.”
Three dressed up as women and three as men and the winners were named Mr. and Miss BG.
Finkenbine, senior, was dressed as a man and won the title of Mr. BG.
“I was really surprised,” Finkenbine said. “The others did awesome. They all looked great, but I guess I did just a little better.”
Slota felt that everyone performed well in the pageant.
“All of them were good,” Slota said. “I had great outfits and a great walk to match.”
Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority Incorporated and Delta Lambda Phi organized the pageant. The money raised from the donations will go to both the fraternity’s philanthropies.
Junior Gary Strain hosted the pageant, and is the social chair of Delta Lambda Phi. He played a big part in organizing the pageant as well.
“We see a lot of Miss America representations of femininity and body builders representing masculinity,” Strain said. “It is too conventional.”
The goal of the pageant was to allow people to perform as the gender they want to be, not the one they actually are, said Strain.
“We decided to create a pageant where people could be who or what they wanted to be,” Strain said. “With drag, there is a transgression so people can be perceived how they want to be seen, not being constrained to what they are born with.”
Sophomore Kevin Roberts is a member of Delta Lambda Phi and came to watch the pageant with his brothers.
“It is fun to see people perform gender differences and going outside the norm,” Roberts said. “Seeing gender expression is fun to watch.”
Senior Christian Springer-Lewis co-organized the pageant along with Strain. She is the vice president for the interior and exterior of Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority Incorporated and was pleased with how the pageant went.
“It turned out really well and went smoothly,” Springer-Lewis said. “The people that showed up seemed to enjoy the show and have a lot of fun.”
Slota encourages people to participate in the pageants in the future.
“The only thing people need to remember is to be confident in yourself,” Slota said. “This is an opportunity to express a different side of yourself and be supported.”
