In the presence of royalty
by Hannah Clay Wareham
Associate Editor of Bay Windows
2010

Toni Olin-Mignosa, kneeling, accepts her crown as
the 2010 Miss Transgender New England.  (Source: Kristie Hammer)

Toni Olin-Mignosa takes home the crown at the 2010 Miss Trans New England pageant.

Christa Hilfers, CEO and Executive Director of the pageant, shared the position of co-host with Georgia Star and the 2009 Miss Transgender New England Lorelei Erisis. Erisis introduced the 2010 contestants as they began their opening numbers with saucy hair flips, hip turns, bend-and-snaps, and catwalking that would put Tyra Banks to shame. The ten contestants wore white tank tops, denim mini-skirts or skinny jeans, and heels miles high.

The contestants cheered one another on, offering a hand to hold and friendly encouragement, while the crowd clapped along to a remix of Bette Midler’s "I’m Beautiful."

"They’re all so beautiful!" Erisis said, standing before the evening’s team of judges: 16th Empress of Rhode Island’s Imperial Court, Diana Prince; Founder of the East Coast Biker Chikz, Lucky Belcamino; Aydin Brannon; Bear White; Miss Gay Ogonquit 2009, Felicia Michaels Warner; Kayla Evans; Miss Mayflower 2010 Kimmy Supernaw; Melissa Borchardt; Ryan Thomas; Theresa Coley-Kouadio; and Vickie Boisseau.

Local folk artist Arjuna Greist provided entertainment while the women made their first costume change. Greist told the crowd that she had written a song for the evening’s performance that very day, and said, "I hope things go well. If they don’t, we’ll all have a raw experience together." The audience giggled and Greist began her acoustic-electric tribute to the women she knows and admires, embodied in the song’s heroine, Grace.

Greist -- wearing a t-shirt that read "Question Gender" -- received a standing ovation for her first song, and launched into an a capella version of "Oh Tranny Boy," a well-received parody of "Oh Danny Boy."

The first contestant introduced was Leslie Anne Rios, a singer/songwriter from Munson, Mass. -- and runner-up in the 2009 Miss Transgender New England competition -- who was competing on the platform of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC). She was followed by Northampton’s own Valerie Samone, competing on the platform of ServiceNet, and then Samantha Joy Cornell, a commercial driver from Worcester. New York’s Charlene Howell emerged next, and told the crowd she was wearing white "because trans babies are pure at birth."

Following Howell was Ava Cordero, a Springfield native who was competing on the platform of spaying and neutering pets, and then Nicole Hamidi, competing on a trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) platform. Boston’s Jasmina Andino told the crowd she hoped to be the "first Latina, homeless, HIV-positive Miss Trans New England," and was followed by cosmetology student Toni Olin-Mignosa. Krystal Rash told the crowd she was competing for workplace equality and Faye Coon ran on a Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance platform "because we’re all crazy here."

The ladies filed off stage and the talent portion of the pageant began....
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A young girl dressed like a fairy next stood on stage before a Puerto Rican flag covered in signatures, and held a portrait of Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar. Andino stood behind the podium and read from a prepared autobiographical speech detailing a history of sexual and domestic violence, as well as homelessness. "I want to share this with you not because I want your pity," but because "Let’s face it, I survived!" Her well-written and well-delivered speech describing how she would use her position of Miss Trans New England as one of political advocacy was continually interrupted by applause from the audience.

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