Mahajanay DeMornay shows off her dress during the Miss Gay Missouri America pageant evening gown round on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Sun Theater in St. Louis, Mo. DeMornay designed her own gown and did her makeup herself. “I have a drag basement in my house,” Roy Lovelady, the performer’s name when not in drag, said. “And everything in my basement is drag from tens to double digits to thousands of rhinestones that’s just sitting in my basement waiting to be used. Fabric that’s just sitting in my basement waiting to be used.”

Roy Lovelady, center, watches as Erynn Bradford, 11, left, and Raniyah Lucas, 10, right, run more than a dozen laps with their classmates to warm up on Tuesday, April 17, 2024, at his studio in Columbia, Mo. Lovelady had the young dancers focus on conditioning and technique, adding repetitions to certain exercises when he saw the students were cutting corners or not pushing themselves enough.

Roy Lovelady, back, corrects 9-year-old Destyn Collins’ posture during dance class on Tuesday, April 17, 2024, at his studio in Columbia, Mo. Lovelady imparted on each dancer the importance of practicing with intention, precision and consistency during class so that the skills they learn in the studio transfer well to competition environments.

Roy Lovelady, left, transfers dance class leadership to Oshay Allen, right, before leaving early to drive to a rescheduled City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 17, 2024, at his studio in Columbia, Mo. In addition to teaching dance, Lovelady owns his own hair salon, competes in drag pageants and serves as the Ward 3 representative on the Columbia City Council.

Roy Lovelady gets into his car to drive from his dance studio and hair salon to City Hall on Tuesday, April 17, 2024, at his studio in Columbia, Mo. He used a fan in his studio to dry out his undershirt after working out with his dancers before changing into a white button up and jeans for the City Council meeting.

From left, City Council members Lisa Meyer, Betsy Peters, Roy Lovelady, Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and city council member Donald Waterman talk amongst themselves after the end of the City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 17, 2024, at City Hall in Columbia, Mo. The meeting started at 7 p.m. and lasted until about 11:25 p.m. “Even running in the election, everybody told me I wouldn’t win. So I hit the ground running, knocking doors, doing any and everything,” Lovelady, who represents Ward 3, said. “A lot of stuff that I do is to prove people wrong.”

Ali Kat, the 2003 Miss Gay Missouri America winner, accepts a tip from Roy Lovelady during the second night of the Miss Gay Missouri America pageant on Friday, March 22, 2024 at the Sun Theater in St. Louis, Mo. Tipping is a time-honored tradition in drag culture, and most of the Forever Miss Gay Missouri Americas were well-rewarded throughout this year’s pageant with queens lip syncing while lines of eager tippers stretched down the theater’s aisles from the stage to the fire exits.

Roy Lovelady methodically applies makeup to assist in his metamorphosis into Mahajanay DeMornay, his drag persona, for the final night of the Miss Gay Missouri America pageant on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Angad Arts Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. Lovelady said the reason performers stick with pageants, despite the personal and professional sacrifices it demands, is because “you want to be validated. For all those nos, you just want that one yes.”

Padding Roy Lovelady uses to become Mahajanay DeMornay and a signed portrait from Erica Foxx, the 2009 Miss Gay Missouri America winner, reading “Mahajanay, My Best Wishes” sit on his bed on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Angad Arts Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. By the end of the competition, Lovelady had invested nearly $16,000 into the myriad elements of his performance including outfits, makeup, travel expenses, backup dancers and more. “That’s part of my problem: I do everything with my whole heart,” Lovelady said.

Mahajanay DeMornay rips off her costume for a quick change during the final talent performance of the Miss Gay Missouri America pageant on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Sun Theater in St. Louis, Mo. DeMornay lip synced to Donna Summers’ “Last Dance” and performed along with six backup dancers while a video slideshow of images from her time as a drag queen played behind her.

Mahajanay DeMornay delivers her speech during on-stage interview question round during the final night of the Miss Gay Missouri America pageant on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Sun Theater in St. Louis, Mo. DeMornay responded to the question, “If you win tonight, what would you like to accomplish during your reign as the 50th Miss Gay Missouri America?” “The one thing that I would like to accomplish is unity,” DeMornay said. “How do I accomplish unity? By being inspiring. I want to inspire the community. I want to inspire the promoters and the contestants. I want to make sure that I continue to inspire others and inspire me. I want to be resilient. I want to always, always be approachable.”

From left, Mahajanay DeMornay watches as Dan James, the 2023 Mr. Gay Missouri America winner, and Vicki Valentino, the 1995 Miss Gay Missouri America winner and one of this year’s pageant judges, congratulate this year’s Miss Gay Missouri America winner, Vivian Versache, moments after Versache’s crowning on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Sun Theater in St. Louis, Mo. DeMornay’s second place win qualified her for the national pageant, but she declined the recognition and decided to not go to nationals.

Mahajanay DeMornay fights to hold back tears on stage after losing the Miss Gay Missouri America pageant on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Sun Theater in St. Louis, Mo. “All I could think about is: I did not achieve,” DeMornay, who received second place, said. “I did not accomplish my goal.”

Michael Johnson sits while Roy Lovelady unbraids his hair on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Lovelady’s salon in Columbia, Mo. Johnson grew up in Columbia and said he’s known Lovelady for nearly 25 years. Since he no longer lives in town, Johnson will drive seven hours for Lovelady to take down and wash his hair. “There ain’t nothing wrong about him. Obviously the quality of his work, but I mean, just everything. He’s a good person. A good person for the community,” Johnson said. “You know, you support good people. You let them know that they’ve got support.”

Hasani Fowlkes, 9, holds his head still while Roy Lovelady does his hair on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Lovelady’s salon in Columbia, Mo. Lovelady only accepts walk-ins, and three people were already waiting in their cars when he arrived at 8 a.m. “Roy is special with his customers,” Keisha Edwards, another of Lovelady’s customers, said. “He basically takes the time to get to know [everyone, and] he knows something about every client.”

Roy Lovelady rebraids Michael Johnson’s hair after washing it on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at his salon in Columbia, Mo. “He has great power,” Johnson said. “If something were to happen and the community were to need to come together, he could definitely bring them together, and I don’t think he gives himself that much praise to see himself as an icon like that.”