New Mr Gay World Andreas Derleth has had time to reflect on his massive achievement, and says he feels ‘extremely proud’ to have won the title for New Zealand. The 32-year-old Aucklander ended South Africa’s run of wins, in Johannesburg, beating the local contestant Lance Weyer to the overall honour, while France’s Remy Frejaville finished third. Derleth proved he was a passionate glbt rights advocate during the competition, in which he was marked on everything from a glbt history essay to how good he looks in togs. He picked up Mr Gay Swimwear, won the Sports Challenge and the Best Interview Challenge on the way to the title. As part of his prize Derleth has won travel to all five continents to be an ambassador for Mr Gay World. “I look forward to 16 months of opportunity to make a difference for LGBT community around the world,” Derleth tells GayNZ.com Daily News. “There are many problems that need addressing and every country is different, some countries suffer from social issues where as others still lack basic human rights, together we can all change that and I look forward to leading that change. “In August 2013 Belgium will play host to the World Outgames, Mr Gay World 2013 and the Human Rights Conference this is an important time and a chance to make a difference.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 10th April 2012 - 8:24am