Kirby Kolby (MGA 2012), Vivian Vaughn (MGNCA 2015) and Blair Williams (MGA 2015) in the dressing room before the pageant.
It's an interesting time to live in North Carolina, especially for LGBT folks. This year, the state passed House Bill 2, one of the most antigay, anti-trans bills every pushed through a legislature (it struck down all LGBT nondiscrimination bills in the state and mandated which bathrooms trans people can use). Conversely, the state is also trending blue, with polls showing Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump, and its queer community is stronger than ever. That queer pride was evident at this month's Pride festival in Charlotte — the center of the HB 2 fight — and the Miss Gay North Carolina pageant, also held in the city. Take a look at the ebullient pageant, where one queen was crowned and will compete in the Miss Gay America pageant in October.



















