First of all I just want to say, I feel so honoured to be 2011's Mr Gay Wellington and plan for this year to be one of learning, participating and understanding more not only about other people but myself as well. I entered Mr Gay Wellington because first and foremost I thought it would be a lot of fun. The competition was quite friendly, we all chatted backstage and calmed our nerves with some chatting and bubbles. Steven Gray would swan in occasionally and put us all in a panic but we would soon be calm again. One thing that I got from the whole group is re-assurance for one another which made it just so easy. Winning was great. I never thought I would feel the emotions I did. When the two finalists names were read out incorrectly and I found myself in the losing position, I was happy with how I performed, felt like I had represented myself faithfully and was happy to walk away feeling proud of who I am. When the announcement was made that I was one of the finalists, I felt a great joy, a moment of acceptance which made me even more proud of how far I have come over the years. Putting yourself out there to be judged is unnerving for anyone. I am in a place where I know who I am, and was ready to take on the praise and criticism which came with entering. It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there and I have nothing but respect to the other contestants who gave it their all. As a job I am an Area Manager for Event Cinemas. I have been working for the company for over 15 years, previously in Auckland and now for the last 5 years in Wellington. I love Wellington dearly, so much so that I have settled here and recently bought a house, so I guess I will stick around for a while! I love my friends, they are the reason that I won this in the first place, and I always feel nothing but love and support from them. One of my interests - as you would have guessed from my talent, is roller skating. I also love music, movies, having a laugh and shaking my toosh on the dance floor. My inspirations have to be Ben Cohen, Ellen DeGeneres, Harvey Milk, and my friends. I would have to also say that I respect and admire Blake Skjelerup for the work he is doing on the anti bullying campaign about to sweep its way across the country. We should all be proud to have such a positive influence among our community. One of my biggest messages I would like to convey is love yourself, there is only one of you and you are important. Put on a condom, get regular health checks and support the NZAF and their message by being safe. Help youth find their way, we all remember what it was like to be confused and feel alone. Support Rainbow Youth and their great work in the community and the volunteers who give their time to help those to make a connection to themselves. There are various community programmes out there which we can all do our part in to support. That's really all about me, but if you see me out and about (which I am more than sure you will) please do come up and say hi. I can't wait for the experiences and the chances I will get to participate in spreading acceptance and love among our community. Oh – and I would like to thank Michael Gray for his kind words and leadership, and they joy he brought into being Mr Gay Wellington 2010. I look up to him and salute him from NZ to Melbourne. GayNZ.com - 10th June 2011