Since 1982, legendary drag entertainer and LGBTQ activist Darcelle XV of Portland, Oregon has sponsored La Femme Magnifique International, a drag pageant for The Most Beautiful and Glamorous Female Impersonators in the World. Winners have hailed from Portland, Tacoma, Denver, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Seattle, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and contestants have competed from as far south as Mexico City and north of Vancouver, British Columbia. What also makes this pageant special is that at the time the contestants compete, they must be drag queens and not have any gender reassignment or be on hormones.
On Sunday, July 19th at Neighbours Nightclub, Latrina Bidet and Gaysha Starr will host the 34th Annual Seattle Pageant with 2014 Seattle La Femmes Diamond St James and Celys St James, Darcelle XV (MK's Pal) from Portland, OR and former La Femme titleholders.
The competition categories for both the regional and international pageants are Black and White Presentation, where contestants can wear any combination of black and white, Formal Wear, Talent Presentation and Las Vegas Showgirl. Here they must balance heavy feathered and embellished headdresses while wearing skimpy, sparkly bodysuits and high heels, as if they don't have a care in the world. In between each category presentation, past La Femme Magnifique titleholders and special guests will perform.
