Cape Town - Fighting homophobia, transphobia and championing activism of various LGBTQIA+ issues was the key message that Mr Gay World 2023 delegates want to spotlight ahead of the pageant’s grand finale.
Gay men from countries including South Africa, Belgium, Guam, Chile, Spain, India, Australia, Thailand, United States of America, Philippines and Great Britain have gathered in Cape Town vying for the Mr Gay World 2023 title. The winner will be crowned on Friday, 27 October.
The men have arrived in Cape Town, learning about each other’s cultures and experiences, and celebrating what it means to be gay. Johann van Niekerk, one of the directors of Mr. Gay World and Mr. Gay World South Africa, said this was one of the perks of having the men come to the city to participate in the event.
“Yes, it is at the end of the day, a competition. Somebody will be crowned as the winner with a second and a third-runner up, but there is a valuable exchange of information between them as a group. Things such as how do they experience gay or LGBTQIA+ life in their cities, their countries and their environments compared to others?”
“Some countries are more evolved in equality, some less, and some are on the way. And all those things give them extra insight into what's out there different from their own direct environment,” Van Niekerk said.
The delegates were eager to share their thoughts and motives on what drove them, not only in the competition but also in their lives. They were all loud and proud to highlight causes such as suicide prevention, bullying, transgender rights and combating stigmas.
Australia’s delegate, Dion Alexander, who is keen to tackle homophobia in sports, said that even though each of them has various passions, none of the work they hope to achieve can be done without each other's support.
“I’m listening to everyone, at the moment, with their beautiful stories and the amazing activism work that we’re going to do, but none of us can do it alone. The ability to bring people along, with the journey, is something that I’ve identified that we need to do. People are going to be passionate about different areas, but if we can all help bring each other up, then I think we’re all going to do a great lot of work.”
Thailand’s delegate, Nazmadih Mateem Nujan, said he has been a pageant lover since he was young but added that it doesn’t take winning to help out the LGBTQIA+ community.
“To me the pageant is not about my time of relaxation. I can be myself but at the same time I can raise awareness of something that is hidden under the carpet.”
Tickets for the Mr. Gay World Grand Final can be purchased at https://www.ticketpros.co.za/.