Gay Black Ohio Pageantry System

IN THE LATE 60's A FORMER MISS PITTSBURGH, DECIDED TO MOVE TO CLEVELAND TO SEE WHAT THE CITY HAD TO OFFER AND WHAT HE COULD OFFER THE CITY. BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND PERFORMING ALL OVER WITH A GROUP OF ENTERTAINERS CALLED "THE LOVE BIRDS",JAMES (BIG MAMA) McDOWELL SAW FIT TO CREATE A CONTEST WHERE AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE IMPERSONATORS COULD BECOME POSITIVE ROLE MODELS IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS TITLE WOULD PROMOTE PRIDE IN WHO YOU ARE AS INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS PREPARE YOU FOR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. IN THE 70's ERA OF CLEVELAND, THERE WEREN'T MANY IMPERSONATORS OF COLOR GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF HOLDING TITLES SUCH AS MISS GAY CLEVELAND AND MISS GAY OHIO. IN 1977 THIS DREAM BECAME A REALITY WHEN ISIS TIFFANY SOUL WAS CROWNED. SHE AND BIG MAMA WOULD GO ON THROUGHOUT YEARS TO COME, OPENING DOORS AND BREAKING BARRIERS FOR UP AND COMING AFRICAN ENTERTAINERS. FOUR YEARS LATER IN 1981 MISS GAY BLACK OHIO WOULD TAKE ON A MALE COUNTERPART THAT WOULD BE CALLED MR. GROOVY GUY, CREATED TO BE A HIP AND FASHIONABLE ROLE MODEL FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT MALE WOULD BECOME A POPULAR MODEL AND HAIR DESIGNER NAMED PAPPY. THESE THREE WOULD GO ON TO BECOME B.I.P PRODUCTIONS. AS THE 90's ROLLED AROUND, ISIS WENT ON TO BECOME A PROMOTER FOR MISS OHIO CLASSIC, A COMPETITION GEARED TOWARDS ENTERTAINERS OVER FIFTY. BIG MAMA WENT ON TO BECOME THE MOST POPULAR OF THE OHIO CLASSIC COURT,PAPPY WOULD SOON TRANSFORM WHAT WAS ONCE GROOVY GUY INTO MR.GAY BLACK OHIO. IN 2001, BIG MAMA PASSED ON TO A BETTER PLACE. A PROMISE WAS KEPT BY PAPPY AND THE LADY DECEPTION THAT HER LEGACY WILL LIVE ON. IN 2009 THE TORCH WAS PASSED TO, MISS GBO 1999, TERRI WILLIAMS AND 1996 REPRESENTATIVE LISA CARTIER. IN FEBRUARY 2010 ANOTHER DIVISION WAS ADDED TO THE GAY BLACK OHIO PAGEANTRY SYSTEM, MR. & MISS GAY BLACK OHIO NEWCOMER, WHICH HAD A SPAN OF 10 YEARS BEFORE CLOSING TO PUT ALL FOCUS ON THE MR. & MISS DIVISION. THE GAY BLACK OHIO PAGEANTRY SYSTEM THANKS ALL THE FORMERS, FUTURE CONTESTANTS AND THERE FOLLOWERS FOR THEIR CONTINUING SUPPORT. IN 2012 AFTER MANY YEARS OF FAITHFUL DEDICATION TO GBO, LISA CARTIER, TOOK A HIATUS, TO PURSUE PERSONAL DREAMS & ASPIRATIONS, AND RETURNED IN 2014. TERRI WILLIAMS, LISA CARTIER, MAMA- DARRYL, LADY DECEPTION, CARLEONE, AND DEVINITY CONTINUE TO STAY ON THE COURSE AS GAY BLACK OHIO LEGACY CONTINUES