Tampa Bay: Who took the tiara?

New Royalty in town
As with tradition, St. Pete Pride has crowned a new king and queen to represent the organization for the next year. This year's Mr. and Miss St. Pete Pride pageants were held at the Flamingo Resort on Sunday, June 17, right at the height of the popular T-Dance.

The Mr. St. Pete Pride pageant started about an hour late, which in â┚¬Å”drag timeâ┚¬Â means it started on time. With four contestants, the entire competition lasted about three hours and Vinnie Marconi took the crown after winning nearly every category. He especially wowed the crowd and judges with his talent number, featuring several backup â┚¬Å”band matesâ┚¬Â on keyboards and guitars.

Nearly two hours after Marconi was crowned, Miss St. Pete Pride got underway with its four contestants. Despite a late start crowds again packed the main bar of the Flamingo to cheer on their favorites before the crown was awarded to Jasmine Skiis, who won every single category of the pageant.

Throughout the evening, the crowds got a chance to see former Mr. and Miss St. Pete Pride title holders perform, including Kori Stevens, Jaeda Fuentes, Ken D'Artanan and Aiden Taylor. The newly crowned royalty will perform on the Detour Stage during St. Pete Pride on June 30.

Going gay on Westshore?
As Adele would say, â┚¬Å”rumor has itâ┚¬Â that the LGBT community is quietly invading the Westshore Business District. So many same-sex couples and gay singles are moving into the area's condos and apartments that a new gay bar could be making an appearance in the area as early as January 1, 2013.

There isn't any official word on the exact location of the new club or exactly what it would be called. But a reliable source close to Watermark shared that a possible sports pubâ┚¬â€similar to that of Georgie's Alibiâ┚¬â€could welcome LGBTs and allies alike. The venture is an interesting one, considering the area is more known for its business community rather than its social one.

We'll keep our ears to the ground and report if there are any new developments on this one that could pertain to your New Year's Eve plans.

Rain couldn't stop Windows on Broadway
The Windows on Broadway cabaret event was a huge success at King of Peace MCC Jan. 8, according to organizers. The mixture of comedy, dance and vocal performances brought more than 350 people to the church on one of the most dreary, rainy evenings of the year. The celebration of music, which was a fundraiser for St. Pete Pride and the King of Peace Music Team, broke records with its attendance numbers. Last year, or example, the team's big fundraiser brought in an estimated 75 ticket holders.

The interactivity of this year's cabaret provided guests an opportunity to meet the performers in a non-traditional way. Peggy De Lara and Tina Beasley, or example, were dressed in early 20th century costumes and selling flowers to attendees before the show. A magician and red carpet photo area were also on hand for the crowd.