Actually Nomad, beauty contest are very big in the southern Bible belt. These womanless contests are very common fund raiser events! New Orleans is not that far and folks flock there. In the south the guys just had to figure a way to get into some of that beauty contest action so they started their own contest. All the bad things you have ever heard about the south are true! They just like to keep the great stuff a secret to discourage unwanted crowds. That's true too. While strangers are intriguing and welcome they do not really want these folks to homestead. It is amazingly peaceful, quiet and uncrowded here in this often referred to as a “poor” state.

  Wind, rain and drought can harm the south, but normally the weather can be really a gift much of the year. There are some amazing people from the state I live in these days and from my home state Kentucky too. Here is an interesting list though I can see many are left off of it.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/msfamous.htm.......here's a more inclusive list of mostly living folks from this state.. http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Mississippi,+USA

Gayness may not be encouraged in the south, but that doesn't mean southern folks can’t have fun living out of character for a moment. Nothing is beyond the reach of guys that can chew tobacco and actually be proud of it 70 or 80 years after it has been nationally fashionable! The fact that spittoons are only antiques because chewing went out of fashion with people that died off 30 years ago doesn’t matters little. So a drag contest on a school stage really isn’t a big deal.  I don’t think these womanless shows are anything like a drag contest among men that actually like dressing up as women. They had/have these shows here and sometimes I think these womanless beauty shows are more of insult to women, then a spoof on gayness, as though it is more impressive to get attention tackling a man you know on a field of grass than dressing up like a princess. It is usually the sports guys that perform in these events. I think it would be fairer to allow these guys to dress up as cheerleader at real beauty contests to “support” the real ladies that know what they are doing. That is after all what is offered to the girls at the guys events. They could even cheer at the girls sporting events.  Maybe it is just an allowable way for the super macho to show their closest feminine side.

 I don’t think there are fewer gay people in the south then most places and in spite of what the outside world thinks and the talk you will hear locally supports.  The local gay population is often semi-in—the –closet, but usually known and accepted as part of the local community. When I think of who around here is or might be gay, I can honestly say I don’t think any of us here would want these people anywhere but here, whether we agree with their life styles or not. We always have one of the highest numbers of teen births in the nation, huge numbers of single parent homes and multiple marriage homes and all sorts of other living arrangements. The southerner likes to feel and think they are conservative, old fashion and traditional when in truth that is as rare here as most places these days. The south is full of contradictions. This is one of the poorest states but one of the most giving per capita in the country and you will find people here lining up and doing fund raisers all the time to help those less fortunate locally and around the world. I live in a town of 3,000 and we have a very fine local community theater newly finished and lately a recording studio blues guys are hanging around the Rock and Swing recording studio on main street …I cannot tell you how much that amazes me and I have lived in and visited many places.…the art and culture in this area is awesome and if the general public rather than the specialized art community and the elite ever wake up to that the sky is the limit for these crazy, amazing, contradictory folks. We have had Cirque du Soleil, traveling Broadway, Prairie Home Companion, and many, many other events within 20 minute driving distance, Major Russian, Spanish and Baroque Exhibits and famous artist exhibits within the state a one man Andrew Wyeth exhibit shocked me for a place like Mississippi and he even en came and sit in the gallery to see the reactions to his work.  We have a local improve comedy group, basically a comment club, a professional symphony, numerous very active community theater groups I can think of at least 4 within in a 50 minute drive at 2 more if you add 15 or 30 minutes, an active film making group, commission and fest. Once or twice a year professional/amateur ballet that is beautiful.   This is not what I thought I would find when headed to Mississippi and it is all well-kept state secrets as far as I can tell.

 The State is corrupted with ALEC nearly through and through at the moment but they are becoming wise to that slowly and I trust will take care of it. The people here are a wonderful fascinating mix of the contradictive, natural state of being human, just like every other place I have been. What I love and share in common is they collectively seem amazed at the simple things and the natural beauty of the world and exhibit their love and concern toward each other and outwardly, as they often head off on “Missions” in person or by sending their often limited funds, to build house and give care to others less fortunate then they have been. Sometimes I want to pinch folks here and say ‘wake up” because you are voting and supporting attitudes you really don’t live or want deep down….selfish, money first, driven policy is not for loving people like you folks.