Mr. Gay Philadelphia 2008 Preview

Mr. Gay Philadelphia Friday, August 8th, 2008, Bruce Yelk and Nightlifegay.com, in association with BUCKmonkey , will present a star-studded group of LGBT celebrities for the 2nd Annual Philadelph ia Gershman YMCA in Center City (401 S. Broad Street). On the heels of a sold out event in 2007 that crowned Philadelph ias first official Mr. Gay titleholder, are thrilled to announce Frank Decaro will co-host the event along side of Philadelphia favorite Brittany Lynn. In addition to Decaro, Jack Mackenroth of Project Runway 4, Michael Musto of VH1 and The Village Voice, Mickey Boardman of VH1 and Paper Magazine, David Moretti from Here TVs The Lair and Jesse Archer of Boy Culture and Four Letter Word have all agreed to judge the competition. community that put Philadelphia the map a year ago, a portion of the proceeds from years event will benefit two of the citys most outstandin g charitable organizati ons, The Philadelphia local preliminary American Mr. Gay contest in Los Angeles. Celebrity hosts and judges for the evening are as follows: HOSTS Writer / performer Frank DeCaro hosts his own live national talk show The Frank DeCaro Show every weekday on Sirius Satellite Radio and appears every night as a panelist on the Game Show Networks new version of the classic Ive Got a Secret. For nearly seven years, he co-wrote and hosted the popular Out at the Movies segments on the Emmy Award-winning on Comedy Central. A much sought-aft er pop culture pundit, he has appeared on numerous programs including TV Lands Tickled Pink, Logos kickoff program The Evolution Will Be Televised, CNNs Showbiz Tonight, NBCs Dateline, VH1s The List with Ashton Kutcher, E! Entertainment Televisions The E! True Hollywood Story: The Sopranos, and Bravo s Bravo Profiles: RuPaul. Brittany Lynn is Philadelphia’s fore most drag personality of Philadelphia’s known for creating the monthly Drag Mafia extravaganza draws on politics, pop culture, and audience participation for her one-of-a-kind live performance. and music are recognized throughout the region. Shes got a quip, and a pair of heels, for every situation. In fact, following a stand-up stint at Atlantic Citys Studio Six, she was crowned Atlantic City Magazines Queen of Casinoville. JUDGES Jack Mackenroth is a menswear designer best known for his recent appearance on Season 4 of Bravos hit reality television show, Project Runway. Having lived in New York since 199 1, Jack has incredible experience in the fashion industry, working with brands, such as Levis and Tommy Hilfiger. As a fitness and fashion model through the 1990’s, Jack appeared in such magazines as Paper, DNR, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Journal, Genre, Blue and several others. Jack has always been very open about his positive HIV status. Since his diagnosis in 1990 he has tried to combat the stigma of HIV by living honestly and being a role model through professional and athletic achievements. visibility educates and eventually saves lives. Each year his swim team organizes a benefit event that raises over $25,000 annually for local AIDS charities. Michael Musto is an American writer who began his profession al career at The Village Voice, where he writes the weekly La Dolce Musto celebrity and gossip column. Musto is a recurring guest on several TV shows including Countdown with Keith Olbermann and others on the E! Channel. He is openly gay and is published regularly in several gay publications, including Out Magazine and ShowPeople . appeared in drag in a blue dress in the all drag queen music video for Cyndi Lauper’s single “Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun)”, and as a reporter in the film Garbo Talks. Musto was named Best Gossip Columnist in a poll conducted by nycsidewalk.com, of Musto called him “one of the wittiest stylists in the English language. Mr. Mickey (Mickey Boardman) is a Manhattan- based celebrity reporter and gossip columnist for the uber-trendy, wit and hysterical postings equally praise and criticize all that popular culture has to offer. Mr. Mickeys star has risen in recent years as a featured personality Fabulous Life. Not shy about being openly gay, Mr. Mickey isnt just a celebrity pundit, but hes also an integral part of the LGBT community, frequently offering his time and resources to charitable organizati ons throughout the country. Dr. Frank Spinelli lives in New York City. You may have seen him on the cover of HX Magazine last year, but his body of work goes far beyond notoriety amongst LGBT community members. Dr. Spinelli has been practicing medicine for over seven years focusing on primary care, HIV, and prevention , clinical director of HIV services at Cabrini Medical Center. An active member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Initiative , he consistently issues and HIV prevention . Also an accomplished been published The Blade, Genre, and Instinct Magazine, and is also the author of Advocate Guide to Gay Health and Wellness. He is the “Go To Doctor” on the Logo Network, and previously served as the health expert on LGBT-frien dly, TWIST Radio. Jesse Archer is a New York-based actor, writer, and author with a knack for camp humor and storytelli ng. question accepted social norms and behaviors, Jesses honest and upfront style has led him on countless adventures from Paris to Capetown to Buenos Aires. A graduate of the University of Southern California s Theatre program, he traveled extensively As a performer, Jesse appeared in the Off-Broadw ay hit Birdys Bacheloret te on film in gay cult films Boy Culture, Slutty Summer, and A Four Letter Word (which he co-wrote with director Casper Andreas). Jesse also writes freelance, including a monthly column for Out magazine. Haworth Press published his first book, You Can Run, in 2007. It recounts his experiences two years of traveling throughout South America. David Moretti is an actor living in Los Angeles, but who grew up on the east coast in Rhode Island. He’s best known for his star turn in the here! network original series, The Lair, in which he plays Thom, a reporter who stumbles upon a cult of vampires and is drawn into their misdeeds. One of an increasing number of openly gay American actors, Moretti is committed to making a statement that out performers can and will find jobs, as well as visibility amongst a range of audiences. Since joining the cast of The Lair, Moretti also shot a guest appearance as his Lair character on the here!’s other popular fantasy series, Dante’s Cove. Most recently, he finished shooting his first film, A Date with Murder. Philadelphia’s own Mark Segal is a founding father of the gay press, and one of the LGBT communitys most outspoken and respected activists. The publisher of the award-winning Philadelphia Gay News for 32 years, Mark is often credited with enhancing LGBT visibility throughout the region and nation. He is also the founder and former President of the National Gay Press Association National Gay Newspaper Guild. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association the Suburban Newspapers of America, offering a gay perspectiv e mainstream media. An avid philanthropist, Mark coordinate s which unites local LGBT publications share resources and set priorities on an annual basis. One of the LGBT communitys pioneering activists, Mark has been entrenched in the battle for gay rights since 1969. Stories from his political adventures are the subject of two upcoming books.