The Miss Gay New Jersey Pageant began with a vision from Ray Palazzo in 1982. In 1988, the Miss Gay New Jersey pageant was acclaimed as the production of the year. This recognition came when Jaye Chambers purchased the rights to the title from Ray. Miss Gay NJ, driven by passion and vision, has become a legacy of pageantry in the Garden State. It showcases the Female Impersonation Art form and talent. In 2000, the Mr. Gay New Jersey Pageant system was introduced, giving it a Miss and Mr. Gay New Jersey representative. Initially, the Miss Gay New Jersey Pageant was an official preliminary to the national Miss Gay America Pageant. This was before Miss Gay New Jersey was incorporated. When the Mr. Gay New Jersey contest was added; the organization became a part of the Mr. Gay USofA national pageant system.
In 2000, MGNJA, Inc. was registered with the IRS as official business. It became a 501 c3 non-for-profit, social services organization. The mission is to help men, women, and children. They have been financially stricken due to the onset of HIV/AIDS disease. The vision of the original founders remains a part of our organization today. Our aim is to educate our community about HIV and AIDS. We strive to be a leading social services agency that assists clients. This assistance is provided by offering small grants paid directly to providers.
The organization’s mission and vision are extremely important. HIV and AIDS care was limited during the 1990’s and 2000’s. During this time, government and other social service agencies scrambled to educate themselves about this virus and disease. Our society was researching ways to understand exactly what HIV and AIDS were. Meanwhile, our American Health System focused on managing and curing this epidemic. They studied what medications available could slow its progression. They also examined what effects this disease had on individuals and our communities.
We live in an age where HIV and AIDS care has advanced both educationally and medically. Yet, our organization still receives applications from individuals. These individuals rely on the organization’s assistance, and it is because of that, we still exist.
Miss Gay New Jersey Association, Inc. 