In the end, it took a fabulous, defiant image–out of more than 400 submissions–to claim the grand prize in the GayCities My Pride photo challenge: RuPaul at the mic with the U.S. capitol looming large in the background, submitted by member Billy Khuong of Virginia.
Postcard!, declared Moxy Hart, one of our judges.
I heard somewhere that we had a black president, joked David Hauslaib, another panelist.
A very simple, nicely framed photo of the world’s most famous drag queen in a fighter’s pose in front of the capitol that sums up and includes all three of the ideas of this month’s MY PRIDE theme: passion, pleasure and protest.—Jorg Fockele
As grand prize winner, Billy receives a round trip ticket on Delta Airlines and two nights at any Kimpton Hotel. Congrats, Billy!
With hundreds of great pics, many deserving entries went unrewarded. Fortunately, you can view the slideshow of the entire pride photo challenge–or enter this month’s summer vacation photo challenge. What follows are the prize picks of the runner ups, in descending vote order, followed by a sampling of the judges’ adoring comments.
Runner Up: “Bubble Bath I” by Canio of Minneapolis (Prize: Three Water Bearer Film DVDs)
Zaftig and hirsute and hot and bubbly. Challenges exhausted notions of waxed and starved Gay beauty. I want to be at the party. As the bear fraternity boys say, WOOF.—Joel B. Tan
Bears are my queer brothers. I love seeing other queer guys who don’t fit the norms, and I especially love seeing them have a childlike good time. Letting loose, and not letting dominant culture (queer or otherwise) dictate what kind of body and life you should have-this is what liberation could actually be about if we let it.—Jed Bell
I’m pretty sure getting soapy with your fellow man is the reason God invented Pride.—David Hauslaib
Honorable mention #1: “Angel” by San Francisco’s Michael Seaman (Prize: 5 photo book coupons, compliments of Shapfish)
Who doesn’t love young boys who are so…angelic, but as we all know are so not!—Wickie Stamps
It is a beautiful image that simply captures a moment between the subject and the viewer. It says what you want it to say. In fact I want to just keep looking at this image and wonder what the subject was thinking.–Robert Dodge
The Pride Movement is symbolized by the boy in this photo. Both are young, creative, unafraid, daring, sexy, and yet, both are still vulnerable.—Mark Kliem
A true diva. Bonus points for the boots.—David Hauslaib
Honorable mention #2: “Kiss” by Jim Hamann of Washington, D.C. (Prize: Prize: 5 photo book coupons, compliments of Shapfish)
With Gay Marriage being #1 topic of discussion this month, this photo captures the pride of the community. Plus this photo looks beautiful between the layers of light on top of dark on top of light and the great composition of red, white and blue.—Rich Dominiak
A single most powerful and timely kiss in front of the Capitol Bldg. to show a sign of the times… I like the silhouetted bodies and arms reaching out behind the kissing couple, symbolizing the fight, hope and the numbers that we are in fighting for equality in gay marriage today throughout america. I specially like the way the couple kissing is bathed in a radiance of light, as they both kiss and hold up yellow roses of hope.—Candi Guterres
I found this photo to be funny, sexy and sort of what Pride is about.. after the rainbow flags and drag queens and leather and sex, it’s the love between two people of the same gender.—Will Clark
Honorable mention #3: “It starts with a child” by Phillip Blackmon of Washington, D.C. (Prize: Prize: 5 photo book coupons, compliments of Shapfish)
This captures the hopefullness of a generation. Although it features a truly artistic composition, and is quite memorable and evocative, I feel that because the theme is PRIDE, it doesn’t feel like a proud moment captured in time. It feels more somber, reflective, and wistful. A terrific photograph nonetheless, but the same child in my pick for the winning photo drew me in more.—Glenn Gaylord
The title really says it all. The photo manages to be at once hopeful and elegiac, promising a better future while somehow paying respect to those who’ve paved the way, perhaps those we’ve lost.–Adam Drucker
Honorable mention #4: “Montclair State University – NYC Pride” by Bryan Correira of Kew Gardens, NY (Prize: 5 photo book coupons, compliments of Shapfish)
My first gay pride experience was while I was in college, and it also happened to be NYC pride, and this picture reminds me so much of the young, beautiful and carefree spirit I felt at my first Pride event.—Jeff Sheng
This one snuck up on me. I didn’t consider it much, but I kept coming back to it because I love how the bright colors of the subjects contrast so nicely against the almost-sepia colors of the buildings in the background.–Kevin Goebel
To me, this is what MY PRIDE is all about, what the pioneers fought for and what we’re celebrating: uncomplicated faces of youth proud of who they are and who they love. It’s a simple snapshot that manages to reassure that the kids are indeed alright.–Adam Drucker
Check out the full GayCities My Pride photo challenge slideshow
Enter the GayCities summer vacation photo challenge… and win cool prizes
Don't forget to share:
