THE RIGHTFUL WINNER Jason Wimberly! Jason, oh Jason. I will admit here and now that I did pre-judge what kind of person Jason was going to be before I met him. My first impressions were less than favourable. Oh boy was I wrong! What emerged was a gentile and kind person, with a great sense of humour. While his feet are not exactly firmly planted on the ground, they’re still touching in 6-inch stilettos. Some are saying that maybe Jason didn’t deserve to win, as he already has so much going on in his life. I disagree, he really did win fair and square. Taking first place in five out of the six challenges. He even got the peer vote during the Community Spirit challenge:

So I can say firmly that Jason Wimberly: You got Q. You have sex appeal (look at those abs!), talent (your most pie was… just delicious), personality (and then some), community spirit (represent!) and a healthy lifestyle (you still got second, so werk!).

THE SORE LOSER Now, I’m not one that’s ever interested in getting involved with drama, but there are a few things that happened in the final days of Queer of the Year that do need to be addressed. More specifically, Christine’s attitude. She claims not to be a sore loser but watching her final confessional is almost laughable. My mouth literally fell open when I heard the things she said. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? I just don’t understand how anyone could say that to anyone. All the other runner ups, have been nothing but graceful. Especially Tim, who came second and left with a big smile on his face. I feel like some people were just happy to be there, and she let losing get to her head. Bummer, cause I thought my Brooklyn Girl was going to be all smiles and sunshine for the entire competition! So Christine, you still got plenty of Q, but I think you went the wrong direction when it came to your reaction:

THE PARADE Those rainclouds didn’t rain on our parade! Even with a sad weather forecast, we managed to get nothing but blue skies and sunshine! The gays brought the power of pride, acceptance, and rainbow flags for thousands and thousands of people! The Queer of the Year float was a svelte Firetruck that everyone danced and waved from.

Unfortunately, things did not go without a hitch. After the moment of silence, the firetruck failed to become un-silenced. As in the firetruck broke down and blocked the parade route for about 15 minutes. In a huge surge of pride and community spirit, the parade watchers surrounding the truck all banded together and pushed it off to the side! What a sight! Christine was missing for the first part of the parade due to feeling ill, but luckily she got to join in later on.

Jason rallied for hours and hours and never stopped dancing! Eric and Tim were really fun to look at cause they’re both so pretty. Yenna was always the beautiful flower perched up top with a big smile the entire time. I think everyone had a great day!

A BIG GOODBYE Even with the contest over, we all had an amazing time. I think all of us (contestants, producers, cameramen, editors, gay bloggers, hosts) have fallen in love (some all over again) with Montreal. We all made some life-long friends, and we will never forget this experience! This insider has a scoop that some of the contestants even want to take pro-active steps into making Montreal their home! Let’s hope they do!

The post QUEER OF THE YEAR: DAY 6 & 7 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Talent. It comes in many shapes and many forms. For the Queer of the Year Talent challenge they had to put their culinary skills to the test. Now, not everyone is a chef. But they got detailed instructions with the help from Grumman 78’s Gaelle and Marc. Who was named champion in the queerest Iron Chef competition? Watch the video, and read on to get all the dirty details….

Surprised these Queers could even look at food in the morning after a hard partying night out at Parking Nightclub. Parking is one of Montreal’s premier gay clubs where partiers go to dance till the world ends (Yes, that was weak and awkward Britney reference.) The Queers may or may not have gotten really drunk, and this insider spotted one of the finalists getting a little lucky. Score!

The secret ingredient was tomato and they got to make their own version of a tomato pie tart thing. From scratch even. The crust, the sauce, the baking, where’s the easy-bake oven when you need it?! After tasting all of the finalist’s dishes, it really all boiled down to crust, and salt management.

You’ll have to watch the video to find out who one the challenge, but as Jason commented: “I’m really shocked by the outcome, it had been forever since I had made bolognaise.” Mental note: add “Cordon Bleu-trained chef” to Jason’s resume. My personal favourite tomato pie tart was Celio’s! Yes, after a hiccup in the challenge the day before, Celio was back in the game as smiley and charming as ever. The best crust award went to Eric, as his was flaky and golden. Just how I like my men.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

“Man my pie is salty” – Christine

“I’m a pot head” – Mikala the Host (literally, there was a physical pot on her head)

Make sure to watch the videos and stay tuned for the CROWNING CEREMONY for MONTREAL’S 2011 QUEER OF THE COMPETITION!

The post QUEER OF THE YEAR 2011: DAY 5 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Heading into what looked like a factory seemed pretty confusing for our Queer finalists, but they were relieved to enter a chic loft space filled with clothes and jewelry: URANIUM! Their challenge was to create a unique accessory that reflects their personality. They had an array of beads, chains, feathers, charms, leather and more. As their jewelry started to take shape, you really saw how it was a totem representing who they were, and what they loved.

Things took an interesting turn when Celio, after a misunderstanding with host Mikala, ended up walking out of the challenge therefore forfeiting his points for that day’s challenge. Nobody really knows what happened, but everyone really hopes Celio comes back! Make sure to watch the confessionals for all the inside details.

But the show must go on, and on it did with some striking pieces:

• Christine made a deeply personal feather earing that represented her Cherokee blood, her gender-queerness, and her colorful and bright demeanor.

• Eric made a intertwined leather and metal bracelet that was a contrast between rough manly, with a sprinkle of sparkle.

• Tim, always the gentleman decided to do a feather tie with references to his love of music, and the contrast between tradition and unconventional.

• Yenna made an adorable little bug necklace with feathers hanging off it that symbolizes her cute and intelligent air as well as her love for insects.

• Wimberly, forever the showgirl, made a stunning full body chain with a jewel drop down the back. Glitter glitter baby!

• Celio’s necklace looked promising and rumor is it would have placed in the top three had he not been disqualified from this challenge. Bummer!

Check out the photos and guess who won. Watch the video and maybe you’ll be surprised! TAKE NOTE THAT VOTING ENDS TOMORROW AT NOON SO MAKE SURE TO GET IN AND VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE QUEER! RALLY SUPPORT AND TAKE YOUR QUEER TO THE TOP OF THAT PODIUM! THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

The post QUEER OF THE YEAR 2011: DAY 4 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The Healthy Lifestyle challenge was a Queer Triathlon! Consisting of thee different sporting activities, finalists got points based on where they finished in each activity. After the grand total was tallied up, the winner was awarded with a relaxing rubdown at Bota Bota! This is what went down yesterday:

EVENT 1: ICE SKATING RACE: What’s gayer than Disney on Ice? 6 Queer of the Year contestants on ice. Once strapping on the skates at Le Atrium 1000 Skating Rink they were gliding around like naturals. Well, not entirely, but almost. They had to do slalom through some pylons, do a full spin around three at the end, and skate back as fast as they could. Most of them couldn’t stop, so they just stuck out their hands and waited for something to stop for them. The queer with the best time got the most pointage, watch the video to find out WHO. QOTYinsider observation: Celio, who had never dawned a pair of skates before in his life, was like a beautiful little ice nymph. Good job Celio!

EVENT 2: BIXI RACE IN PARC JEAN-DRAPEAU: Remember that scene in Grease where they race cars really fast and there’s that girl who walks out into the center of the track and takes her scarf and flags the start of the race? Well, this was nothing like that. Instead it was five queers on large metal bikes, a comedienne and a Drag Queen. They Bixi‘d their little hearts out, and, ultimately, someone came in first. Watch the video to find out which contestant blew past the finish line first! QOTYinsider: Eric got a sexy battle scar in the race and it was even sexier when he didn’t even care about it. So Travolta of him.

EVENT 3: HULA HOOP SMACKDOWN IN THE OLD PORT: The final event was a riveting one. Sudden death Hula Hoop. In three rounds, queers drew names from a hat and faced off against their chosen opponent. The winner of that hula went on the semi-finals. Tim, Christine, and Celio were going hard at it in the semi-finals when Celio lost control of his hoop. Rogue hoop! In the finals, it was Christine vs. Tim. Showdown. Hoops were hula-ing, people were gasping. There was an old man taking photos. The first hoop to crash dramatically to the ground was… Watch the video to find out!

Make sure to go vote for YOUR favorite Queer of the Year! Stay tuned for more gay shenanigans all week! I hear tomorrow is going to be a very glittery day!

The post QUEER OF THE YEAR 2011: DAY 3 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Arriving at the location for the first challenge was a bit perplexing. It was a random concrete office tower in the middle of the Mile End. They theorized and guessed, but ultimately they were all wrong. Up on the seventh floor of this building lay the studio of famed Montreal photographer Nico Stinghe! Can I get a woo-hoo for the Sex Appeal challenge?!

The competitors rose to the occasion fabulously: create two different looks with hair, make-up, costumes and props that show your “sex appeal”. Everyone got to let their creativity run rampant in the challenge, which was riveting to watch. Things started to get a little kinky when:

• Christine went sexy, steamy firefighter with her dark locks, dark lips and nothing but straps hiding those breasticals. QOTYinsider gossip: she rocks some sweet body decorations, but I’m not going to say where.

• Eric probably has fruits flying at him in bars all over New York City. So, in a very literal move, fruit was flying!

• Wimberly went full nude on a swing. The camera may have been at a strategic angle, but the rest of us observing from the side definitely were not.

•Yenna was all class, seductive and suave. That is until the firecracker in her hand blew up. Somehow, she still looked quite graceful.

• Tim went full circle, from some chic drag all the way to macho football player. He rocks shoulder pads like you wouldn’t believe.

• Celio became my personal superhero in his latex get-up that left little to the imagination. Up, up and away!

•Host Mikala started enjoying the large phallic props a little too much…

Ultimately there could only be one winner. So coach and photographer Nico, along with his team of stylists, picked the Queer that was the most creative and original, who most clearly brought the sexy. And the winner is… Well, you’ll have to check out the video to find out!

Make sure to stay tuned all week to the Queer of the Year Facebook page to watch the recaps, confessionals, and most importantly, VOTE for whom you think is 2011 QUEER OF THE YEAR!

P.S. Rumour has it the Queers got up to some questionable activities that night involving, black leather heels, Britney Spears music, little clothes, and metal rods.

The post QUEER OF THE YEAR 2011: DAY 2 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Tim: Adorable and funny as you’d think. Yenna: Shy, but she has a sparkle in her eyes and heartwarming smile. Celio: Also a bit shy, but so polite and nice! Jason: Powerful. Can crush me like a bug. Christine: She got swagger. Also the most quotable queer. Eric: Outgoing, outrageous and amazing.

Once they landed in Montreal, I got to catch up with them and ask a few questions. One being: Who is your biggest supporter back home? Tim says his boyfriend and his mom are hardcore rooting for him. Christine, Yenna, and Jason, Eric all have their big armies of supporters on social media. Celio, always the modest one, says he has “a few great people who are supporting me from Portugal.” Once the contestants arrived at their MASSIVE loft, they got settled in and went out onto the town in a beautiful Tour de Ville:

• Up to Mont Royal for the famous view of the entire city. Unfortunately for the host Mikala, she wore her highest heels so she was stumbling, fumbling and grumbling down the mountain. Oops!

• Leisurely stroll down Mont Royal, they needed a well deserved break. Cue giant green chairs for some R&R. Except Wimberly, he did the splits across them and all the contestants underneath. It was here in the green chairs where Christine remarked that she and Eric had “very similar nipples.” Nipple twins forever!

• Hungry stomachs need to be feed. So a short walk over to Montreal institution Le Banquise for the world famous Quebec delicatessen: POUTINE! (Fries, smothered in gravy, sprinkled with cheese curds for all you non-canadians). Fitness guru Wimberly gave it a dismal 2/10. But Tim rated poutine 7.5/10 when sober, and theorized 20/10 if he were drunk. Tim’s got poutine figured out.

• The Sherlock Holmes of the group Christine made an interesting observation in Parc Lafountaine: “Montreal has sexy skinny seagulls.”

• After stuffing their faces full of Poutine (and side salad!), a trip down to the Gay Village had locals turning heads as the finalists strutted their stuff down St. Catherine under Les Boules Rose.

•The day ended with a romantic carriage ride through Old Montreal. Multi-faceted entertainer, performer and Queer of the Year host Mikala even attempted to drive!  I foresee a career change for her the horizon. From comedienne to horse lackey.

Make sure to stay tuned all week to see these folks battle it out for the Crown. Follow Queer of the Year on Facebook and Twitter to get updates and most importantly VOTE! Tomorrow is a new day, and I hear it brings the sexy…

The post QUEER OF THE YEAR 2011: DAY 1 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

She arrived wearing nothing but white pants and an orange fashion jacket. Immediately I feel in love. She came with an open mind and ready to learn. A leisurely stroll under the Boules Roses, followed by an extremely difficult large puzzle in Parc Emilie Gamelin kicked off our village tour. We went into Priape to check out the naughtiness in the basement, climbed up chairs to try and kiss Mado, rubbed a Genie the wrong but right way, and frolicked amongst the red poles of Banque National’s “Manifesto”.

Gossiping about the Queer of the Year contestants, Mikala likes Jason’s legs, Yenna’s lips, Cristine’s hair, Tim’s voice, Eric’s face and Celio’s smile. She is torn and confused about who she thinks will take the entire competition. After our Gay Gossip session, we decided to find places her Disappointing Gay Best Friend co-stars would like in Montreal. Tyler the “old twink” would definitely frequent Bar Le Cocktail, Jenny the “huge Ellen fan” would be found watching the game at Le Drugstore, and Mikala the “gay twink trapped in a women’s body” would tear up the dance floor at Unity.

It’s pretty hard to explain exactly what happened during our Gay Village tour, so you’ll have to just watch the video and see for yourself!

A

The post INTRODUCING THE HOST OF QUEER OF THE YEAR 2011: MIKALA BIERMA appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Yenna Woloshen: Oh Yenna, you be as delicate as a beautiful tulip. Your smile frisks my heart oh-so softly. I’m not coming onto you Yenna (cause’ I don’t swing that way), I just want to be your best friend forever. I feel like I already know you oh Doll-Like-One. On the outside you’re all doilies, daisies and dramatic eyelashes, but inside you’re really an iron-fisted ball crusher (and I respect that). You’ll take these Queers down no problem; just don’t be distracted by your own reflection in the mirror.

Jason Wimberly: When I was a wee child, I played with fire and I got burned. So I know better than to mess with Wimberly. I feel like if Wimberly and I ever got in a fight, he’d either tickle me with his eyelashes until we made up and got married or he’d just stab me in the face with his stiletto. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of Queer who’s going out without a fight. Cue epic soundtrack music because Wimberly is obviously in it to WIN it. Let us pray he doesn’t break anything while he struts. Did I just hear something snap?

Christine Rodriguez: If I had the honor (nay, the privilege) of being a indie-chic power lesbian with one feather earring and an asymmetrical hair cut, I would be salivating over Christine Rodiguez’s sleeping body all night every night. She’ll read me poetry (from the recordings I made outside her window), cook me meals (from the scraps I fished from her garbage), and laugh at my jokes (well, the hair doll I made thinks they’re funny). Christine. You’ll make all the Queer hearts go pang-pang, just check your emotions at the door or you’ll be tripping over heart strings.

Timothy Warguleski: Oh Timothy, Timothy! Wherefore art thou, Timothy? Scale this wall and hop up onto this balcony here. Let’s just organize this better, OK? Forget the Friars, it’s 2011 so just TEXT me so we don’t both end up like Romeo and Juliet. Deal? Deal. Your accent is sexy and you’re the All-American dream boy of many. I hear you can sing like a bird? Just don’t let it hinder you. While you’re finishing that rousing rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” in the shower, the other Queers are scheming.

Celio Pereira: Hola, como estas? Just kidding, I know Brazilians speak Portuguese. It’s a common mistake that people sometimes make. Just as I’m sure people often mistake you for an angel. Seriously Celio, who are you so adorable? Will you be my boyfriend? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you want another boyfriend? I have no problem moving across the world for a Brazilian boyfriend. OK, so it’s settled then. You’re my boyfriend. You can photograph me walking your bulldog Bob. Sorry, OUR bulldog Bob. Too far? Just don’t let the other Queers take advantage of your kindness; being nice is a double-edged sword.

Eric Perry: HUBBA HUBBA Mr. Perry! Blond hair, blue eyes and pectorals so hard they could crack a walnut. Just a few of your amazing assets (giggles). I’m less interested in the fact you design beautiful things for a living, and more intrigued by your horn blowing abilities. You seem funny and genuine, and I’m happy you’re living the life in the big city. Unfortunately, that won’t help you one bit against these other Queers. So turn that million-dollar smile into a bloodthirsty grin, if you want to win! Careful, your shirt has a wrinkle in it!

Not only am I the gay life blogger, but I’m also a seer. Yes. I can predict the relative future. Tea leaves, crystal balls, life lines, it doesn’t matter because I can read the signs. Generally I just run on what my gut tells me. So here are my predictions for all the shenanigans that will happen during Queer of the Year 2011 BIGGEST SMACK DOWN: CELIO PEREIRA VS. JASON WIMBERLY. The Latin passion of Celio and the firecracker of Wimberly is sure to ignite some flames. Neither will back down until the other is burnt to a crisp. How will Celio’s Havaianas flip-flops fare against Wimberly’s 6-inch stilettos?

BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE AWARD: TIMOTHY WARGULESKI & YENNA WOLOSHEN. They’re here, they’re queer and they will make friendship memories that will last a lifetime. A Kodak moment, but where’s the camera when you need it? Oh it’s right here. Watching their every move. Do I smell an alliance brewing?

MOST UNLIKELY BOND: CHRISTINE RODRIGUEZ & JASON WIMBERLY. These two will butt heads from the beginning. But I wholeheartedly believe these two will find some sort of mutual respect for one another, bond over a drunken conversation about Ty Beanie Babies and end up leaving with a new close friend. Opposites attract, right?

HEALTHIEST COMPETITION: CHRISTINE RODRIGUEZ VS. YENNA WOLOSHEN. Lesbians unite! Right? No, these two will be each others biggest competition. However, it’s not petty or malicious. No, these two are determined and enjoy the challenge! They respect each other’s strengths and both want to win fair and square. Sportsmanship first, winning second.

Note: The hilarious views expressed in this post are those of Alexander Dunphy. You can find the official Queer of the Year 2011 contest on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

The post FINALISTS FOR QUEER OF THE YEAR 2011 ANNOUNCED appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

So what exactly is Queer of the Year? Only the most cut-throat competition under the rainbow. A glamourously gruelling week-long queer fest that will test your personality, talent, healthy lifestyle, community spirit and sex appeal. Only 5 finalists will get to duke it out for the Queer Crown, but everyone gets a chance to vie for a spot in the finals. All you have to do is APPLY HERE, answer a few short questions and tell them what your Q is. But what is a Q?

Your Q is what makes you stand out, sets you apart and what makes you shine. It could be a hidden talent, a fierce secret weapon or a known awesome fact. My Q would definitely be my ability to open a wine bottle with just a shoe. And my violin playing skills. After you submit your application, the preliminary selection round begins where semi-finalists will be interviewed! The five finalists will then be asked to make a video explaining themselves to the world. Do you think you have what it takes to make it all the way?

This year, the competition is being hosted by New York based comedienne Mikala Bierma from “Disappointing Gay Best Friend” fame. If you’re not already a fan of her, you will be once you watch these:

I think she is a fabulous choice and I can’t wait to see her work it like the fierce queen she is! Follow the QOTY Twitter feed, the QOTY Youtube channel and the QOTY Facebook page for updates from Mikala and the Queer of the Year team!

So what are the details exactly? Apply. Get an all expenses paid trip to Montreal. Compete. Win. Bask in Queer Fame. Application deadline is June 13 and the competition is from August 7- 15. Leave your A-game at home, but bring your Q game cause stuff will get heated. If you don’t believe me, check out some highlights from last years competition:

So get on and apply! Lifelong friends, memories and the experience of a lifetime awaits you! Show your Q and let your rainbow shine as bright as your personality! I’ll be rooting for everyone that applies because I know this earth has some pretty fabulous people on it…

p.s. I hope Tyler also makes a few appearances. I love his beard.

Guest blogger: James Alexander Dunphy

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