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It's Tiara Time

Photos provided by BOB TAYLOR

Myah Monroe (l) is reigning Miss Gay Florida USofA. Miss Gay USofA Kara Young-Ross (r) will be special guest.

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By CLOE CABRERA

ccabrera@tampatrib.com

Published: January 14, 2009

Updated: 01/16/2009 02:33 pm

There will be a crown, swimsuits and a title, but this will be no ordinary beauty pageant.

The 21st annual Miss Gay Florida USofA pageant will be held in Tampa today at the Honey Pot in Ybor City.

I judged a Miss Gay Florida pageant a few years back, and the show was quite the spectacle. There was glitz, glamour and some of the most stunning "ladies" I have ever seen. These guys could teach women a thing or two about fashion, hair and makeup, and how to work the catwalk.

Bob Taylor, the owner of the pageant, says this is the first time it will be held in Tampa.

"Tampa is an incredibly accepting city," says Taylor, who lives in Melbourne. "We are going to put on a great show. This is a wonderful art form. I want the public to perceive this in a positive light. It's a positive event where we all have a great time."

Taylor, who is a former Mr. Florida USA, organized the Miss Gay USofA pageant, then passed the reins to someone else when he moved to Los Angeles. Four years ago, he moved to Melbourne and started working again with the Miss Gay USofA pageant system.

At least 10 contestants are expected to compete for the title of 2009 Miss Gay Florida USofA.

"We sometimes get contestants signing up the day of," Taylor says.

Along with the evening gown, talent and swimsuit competition, the pageant will pay tribute to Florida's reigning queen (no pun intended) Myah Monroe, who now lives in Atlanta. There will be a special performance by the reigning Miss Gay USofA, Kara Young-Ross of Las Vegas.

The winner will represent Florida at the 2009 national pageant and will be an advocate for the community, promoting respect, equality and awareness, Taylor says.

The pageant "is going to have more glamour, more costuming and more high-energy dancing than ever before," Taylor says. "It's going to be entertaining. But it also carries a message of tolerance and understanding."

The pageant starts at 9 p.m. at the Honey Pot, 1507 E. Seventh Ave. in Ybor City. Tickets are $15 and will be sold at the door. For information, call Taylor at (321) 278-7788.

NO MORE GOWN GAFFES

What can be worse than spending weeks searching for the perfect dress, only to discover another woman is wearing the same dress at the same event? Now, imagine that happening at the presidential inauguration.

A new site, www.dressregistry.com, is designed to limit these uncomfortable situations. It allows you to "register" the gown or dress you're going to wear to a specific ball. You describe the color, length, designer and any other distinguishing characteristics. You can even upload a photo.

So far, about 100 dresses have been registered for inauguration events. A black Ralph Lauren cocktail dress is already taken. So is a strapless Amsale and a silver Cachet gown, and a one-shoulder, floor-length Chanel.

The obvious problem here is that unless everyone registers, you could still see someone with the same great fashion taste as yours. But it's worth a try!

SAVE THE DATE, AGAIN

The first annual Gasparilla Fashion Festival won't be held today at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Organizers have changed the event to Feb. 22 at the Tampa Convention Center. The festival will showcase the work of emerging local designers. Tickets are $20. Call (813) 892-5502 or visit Gasparilla.com for information.

Got an idea you think is worthy of Hot Pursuit? Call Cloe Cabrera at (813) 259-7656. Try on the blog at TBO.com, Keyword: Hot Pursuits.

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