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| GNI Miss Lace 2017, Iona Mink (Photo credit Brian Becnel) |
Dear GNI Campers,
I am Iona Mink, your reigning GNI Miss Lace 2017 and I thought I would sit down and tell you all a bit about where Iona came from and what I have been doing since being crowned. Since being crowned Miss Lace I have been very busy promoting GNI whenever I can. I have attended RuPaul’s Drag Con and Bette Midler’s Annual Hulaween Extravaganza.
Attending GNI Gathering is the high point of my year. I look forward to it and start counting days to the next year the day I get back. There is a sense of camaraderie and friendship that is so welcoming. You can do as much as you want or nothing at all and both are good. The first year I attended The Gathering I had just turned 50 and if someone would have told me that I would be dancing buck naked on the center go-go platform in the dance club I would have told them they were crazy!!! Well... that was exactly what happened.
There are several contests and events that you can participate in. There is something for everyone. The contest that spoke to me was Miss Lace. Being a former dancer I was in several productions of La Cage Aux Folles so the Miss Lace Pageant was right up my alley. The first year I competed for the crown it had been 25 years since I was onstage in front of an audience. Nerves were very high but I felt so safe and supported from the other queens and the audience welcomed and cheered me on. It was a moment that I will never forget! It took 3 other times before I took the home the crown. Each time I felt the same love and support.
If there is a queen inside waiting to strut her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent I say strap on those heels and shashay the runway! Unlike some of the other contests, there is more preparation needed for Miss Lace. You have to pack wigs/dresses/makeup/heels. There is a talent portion to the pageant, which could be anything from lipsyncing to singing live, from doing a dramatic reading to tap dancing.
I love my other title brothers and we always have a good time when we get together.
I look forward to welcoming a new queen to the Miss Lace family. But fear not, Iona Mink is not going anywhere. Who knows you may just see Iona Mink on RuPaul’s Drag Race!!!
