"This is a big chance to be on stage and 'strut my stuff' - I'm excited and nervous," says 21-year-old Max Trinh, a semi-finalist in Gay Men's Health's Safe Sex Poster Boy competition. Max Trinh - Poster Boy? Trinh will appear on stage at Wellington's Imerst nightclub along with several other potential poster boys this Saturday night. Drag sensation Buckwheat will host the event, with the boys under the scrutiny of four judges from the capital's gay community, and the audience at the show who'll be able to participate in the judging process via text message. Trinh is entering the Boy Next Door category. "If I win I'm going to be on one of the posters which could be really exciting," the Victoria Uni studenttells GayNZ.com. "My flatties joked that I wouldn't have to come out to anyone any more because everyone would know after this. I'm new to the Welly gay community so this could be a good 'Hi!' to everyone." Trinh admits he has no idea what he will have to do or what he'll get asked while on stage. "I know I'll get shy and nervous which happens when I'm in front of a big crowd. But hopefully with my friends there I'll get over it. I'll make the most out of this fun experience this is for sure." National Campaigns Co-ordinator for the New Zealand AIDS Foundation Douglas Jenkin says over 80 New Zealand gay and bisexual men have entered, ranging in ages from 18 to 69. Party boys, bears, guys next door, sportsmen, businessmen and alternative guys are all represented. The Safe Sex Poster Boy semi-final will begin shortly after midnight this Saturday night at Imerst nightclub, then footage of the event will be posted online on the contest's official website. More semi-finals take place all through November - at Auckland's Urge bar on Saturday 10th, Christchurch's Heaven's Above bar on Thursday 15th, - Chch's CRUZ nightclub on Saturday 17th, and finally Auckland's Family nightclub on Sunday 25th. A video introducing some of the Safe Sex Poster Boy contestants can be viewed on the official website.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 1st November 2007 - 4:25pm