“Only in Key West…”
The phrase has been said in reference to many, many observations over the decades. Only in Key West do city officials have a serious debate about nudity and nipples while defining nudity rules for the 10-day Fantasy Fest extravaganza. Only in Key West do roosters roam freely, presumptuously even, through open-air restaurants.
And only in Key West could an amateur drag pageant among (mostly) straight men succeed in raising more than $400,000 for Samuel’s House, a local nonprofit organization that protects and supports abused women and families.
But that’s exactly what the Miss Island Queen Pageant, created and coordinated by Kirby Myers for Samuel’s House, has managed to do.
Now in its fifth year, Miss Island Queen pairs local men (and women), who sign on to be contestants, with professional drag queens to coach them on everything from evening gowns, talent acts, makeup and, yes, in some cases, hair removal.
An April 7 happy hour event at Hugh’s View officially kicked off the 2026 Miss Island Queen affair. The pairs of contestants and coaches spend about a month raising money for their campaigns at a slew of hilarious events. Each individual event is listed on the “Miss Island Queen” Instagram and Facebook pages.
But the final decisions and crowning moment take place, this year, on May 4 at Key West Theater, where each contestant walks the runway and offers the crowd a performance of some sort while the audience melts down in laughter and gleefully throws cash onto the stage to show their support. (As in so much cash, it has to be swept up by giant push brooms between each performance.)
“I honestly can’t believe it’s year five,” Myers said. “Miss Island Queen has become a testament to the spirit of this community — centered in love, inclusivity and the willingness to show up for others. It’s a powerful reminder that when we come together with purpose, we can create something impactful and full of fabulous, over-the-top energy all at once.”
This year’s teams of contestants and coaches include:
- Scottie Jahn aka “Auna Bender” and coach QMitch
- Mark Huffman, aka “Ida Ho” and coach Maya Montana
- Justin Harris aka “Trixie Dixie” and coach Beatrix Dixie
- Becky Damian aka “Manny Mansplain” and coach Erin McKenna aka “Hugh Janus,” who won as “Hugh” in Miss Island Queen’s first year.
- Nick Mazza aka “Nicky Gaga” and coach Jessica Deveraux
