Mr. Gay Wellington took place on Sunday night at The Garden Club with a capacity crowd raising $1,259.30 for LGBT phone support service OUTLine. The new Mr. Gay Wellington Michael Gray 26-year-old opera singer Michael Gray took away the sash and the prizes, beating out seven other contestants vying for the title. Gray says he hopes to help boost the profile of gay events around Wellington and Auckland in his year as Mr. Gay Wellington. "I spend a lot of time between both cities, so I hope I can bring something to help," he tells GayNZ.com. One of the highlights of the night was getting to know the other entrants, he adds. "We all had a fantastic time, and I've definitely made some new friends!" Event organisers Aaron Halliwell and Andy Boreham are donating all the door-take profits, $1,155, to OUTLine. "Mr. Gay Wellington went even better than we could have expected," Boreham says. "The turnout was amazing, as were the judges and performers, and of course the audience!" Buckets rattled for OUTLine at the event raised $104.30, bringing the total to $1,259.30. The event also featured entertainment from drag queens Arabia Le Veil and Miss Drag Wellington winner Rhubarb Rouge with her 'Rougettes'. Video footage of their shows can be seen below.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 27th October 2009 - 10:54am