 The current Miss Gay America titleholder is Pattaya Hart, the 49th titleholder, crowned on October 5, 2019.In 1971, Jerry Peek opened the Watch Your Hat & Coat Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee, the city's first gay dance and show bar.Having an understanding of the female illusionist state pageants occurring in various show bars in other states, Peek decided to establish a national level pageant to further recognize the best entertainers.