The Miss America pageant packed up and left for Vegas five years ago. But one tradition associated with the annual beauty contest is coming back to Atlantic City.

   Atlantic City’s gay community used to see the pageant as the “gay high holidays.” New York Avenue was the site to gather for the parade of contestants down the boardwalk, and drag queens were said to look at the misses’ outfits to get ideas for their own get-ups. To keep it going after the girls took their gowns, sequins and rhinestones back to their home states, they started the Miss’d America pageant, a drag show held the Sunday night after the shindig in Boardwalk Hall. It benefitted the South Jersey AIDS Alliance. It was a spoof on Miss America and THE place to be in Atlantic City that Sunday night.

   Well, that show is back, and will be held in Boardwalk Hall at 7:30 p.m. January 31. Whether you’re straight or gay, the show is well-written, well-produced, and a TON of laughs. This time around, it will benefit several area organizations, including the AIDS Alliance.

   Tickets start at $35, and are available through TicketMaster or at the Boardwalk Hall box office. An extra Andrew Jackson gets you admission to the pre- and post-show parties at Trump Plaza and Caesars. I plan on being there. It’s a great time for several great causes.

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