Behind Fancy
Someone has to believe in you before the mirror does.
Fancy America is a preliminary to Miss Gay America, MGA Femme, and Gay America Esquire. That is the sentence that fits on a form.
The truer sentence is this. We are two people who kept showing up for a community that raised us, and who decided that how a contestant is treated matters as much as how she is scored. We are here to protect what was handed to us, and to hand it forward in better condition than we found it.
In a world full of hate… be a light.Coti Collins · Miss Gay America 2011
What we believe
More than a competition
A title lasts a year. What a person learns while chasing it lasts considerably longer. We build Fancy around that second thing.
Pageantry taught us discipline before it ever taught us glamour. It taught us how to walk into a room prepared, how to lose with grace, and how to be trusted with someone else’s confidence. Those lessons are the actual inheritance, and they are what we are trying to protect.
- Legacy
- We did not invent this. Miss Gay America has been setting the standard for more than fifty years, and our job is to carry it forward without dropping it.
- Service
- A crown is not a prize. It is an assignment, and the assignment is to be useful to the community that gave it to you.
- Mentorship
- Every contestant leaves our stage with notes, with honesty, and with someone in their corner who will still answer the phone in March.
- Integrity
- Scores are earned. Judges are independent. Nobody is promised anything before they compete, and nobody ever will be.
- Excellence
- We hold a high bar because the people before us held one. Being asked for your best is a form of respect.
- Community
- Fancy lives in bars, in brunches, in fundraisers, and in living rooms. We show up in all of them, not only under the lights.
- Leadership
- We are looking for the person who lifts the room, not only the one who commands it.
Not just a team, a family
Meet the promoters
Promoter · Co-founder
Joshua Gray-Heim
Fayetteville, North Carolina / also known as Hannah Rae Rinse
Joshua Gray-Heim lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with his husband, Adam, and their son, Caleb. With more than two decades in the beauty industry, Joshua has built a career centered on education, leadership, and excellence.
He is the owner of JCo Salon, one of Fayetteville’s premier luxury salons, where he has cultivated a culture of artistry, education, and exceptional service.
Beyond the salon, Joshua is passionate about helping others grow. He mentors entrepreneurs and aspiring authors, serves as Vice President of Off Road Outreach, and is the Hair and Wig Designer for Cape Fear Regional Theatre, combining creativity with community impact.
Joshua is also the co-founder of Carolina Drag Brunch, co-promoter of the Fancy America Systems, and the published author of The Unburdened Series. Whether mentoring future leaders, serving his community, or producing prestigious pageants, he believes true success is measured by authenticity, integrity, and lifting others along the way.
You only get one life. Lead with kindness, invest in your community, lift others as you climb, and never underestimate the impact one person can make. Trust me… you’ve got this.
Promoter · Co-founder
Alan Domingo
Raleigh, North Carolina / also known as Alora Parque
Chris “Alan” Domingo lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his dogs Cannabis and Stella, and his cat Snatch. Yes, he has a twisted sense of humor.
Alan has been in the insurance industry for going on 10 years, and he is also a proud US Navy veteran and a proud survivor of addiction, going on 14 years sober. Alan is the co-founder of Carolina Drag Brunch, which was established five years ago with Joshua Gray-Heim, and has helped build it into one of the largest drag brunch companies in North Carolina. He also goes by Alora Parque when throwing on a wig and heels randomly through the year.
Alan believes in supporting non-profits and has served as a volunteer for many years with one of the oldest non-profits in the nation supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, the Crape Myrtle Festival.
As a promoter, Alan hopes that Miss Gay Fancy America can show that beauty is not just on the outside, it is mainly on the inside that matters. This means to him an individual’s ability to show compassion and love for everyone, being a mentor, being a leader, always encouraging people to do their best, and lifting those up when they feel they are at their lowest.
You only have one life to live. Live it to your fullest, without regret, be true to yourself, and when you feel you are at your lowest, remember you are loved and I support you.
Advisory board
Fancy is advised by entertainers who have already carried a national title, and who tell us the truth when we need to hear it.
Miss Gay America 2012
Kirby Kolby
Kirby Kolby is an acclaimed national titleholder, celebrated entertainer, and respected mentor within the art of female illusion. Crowned Miss Gay America 2012, Kirby’s name is synonymous with elegance, craftsmanship, and the highest standard of professional presentation.
Representing North Carolina in the Miss Gay America system, Kirby’s journey to the national crown was shaped by years of dedication, discipline, and a commitment to constant artistic growth. Her performances are recognized for their emotional depth, refined detail, and a signature blend of classic pageantry with modern creative expression.
Throughout her reign, Kirby focused on mentorship, leadership, and elevating the legacy of the Miss Gay America system. She has served as a coach, judge, and advocate for performers nationwide, emphasizing integrity, professionalism, and the belief that excellence begins long before the spotlight turns on.
Today, Kirby continues to travel across the country as a featured entertainer, host, and creative consultant. She remains deeply committed to inspiring performers to develop not only their skill, but their voice, presence, and purpose.
Miss Gay Fancy America 2023
Emory Starr
Emory Starr is an acclaimed drag entertainer and respected pageant titleholder based in North Carolina, admired for her powerful stage presence, refined presentation, and deeply expressive performance style. With a career rooted in both community stages and national pageantry, Emory blends classic glamour with contemporary artistry.
Her pageant legacy is highlighted by her reign as Miss Gay Fancy America 2023, where she served as an ambassador of elegance, professionalism, and creative excellence for the Fancy America system. She also earned Miss Gay North Carolina America 2010 and Miss Gay South East America 2011.
Throughout her career, Emory has graced stages across the Carolinas and beyond, with standout performances at venues such as Legends Nightclub Complex in Raleigh and the historic Scorpio in Charlotte. Audiences know her for emotional storytelling and a presence that resonates long after the spotlight fades.
Offstage, Emory mentors emerging entertainers, offering guidance in stagecraft, branding, pageantry, and the personal confidence required to thrive in drag. Her commitment to uplifting others reflects her belief that drag is not only entertainment. It is community, creativity, and shared growth.
Where we are going
The vision
It is not complicated, but it is deliberate. We want a preliminary that a first time contestant can enter without being afraid, and that a seasoned national competitor still respects.
We want artistry taken seriously and not simply applauded. We want the history of this system spoken out loud, because the entertainers who built it deserve to be named. We want opportunity that reaches past the people already standing in the spotlight. And we want the room to keep getting bigger, because the version of this community that lasts is the one that keeps making space.
If we do this right, the crown will be the smallest thing anyone takes home.