The reigning Miss Gay New Jersey at Large, Juliza Alezae, is a Jersey gal, born and raised in Morris County. Alezae embarked on her road to the crown by winning Miss Switch, a title she holds concurrently with Miss New Jersey at Large. A full-time cosmetology student at the Capri Institute, the Uruguayan- Italian beauty loves the pageant life and the chance it gives her to give back to the community.

PGN: Tell me about your family.
JA: Both of my parents are from Uruguay. My grandfather on my father’s side was Italian and I’m told was a famous architect. I have an older brother and sister, so I am the baby of the family.

PGN: How old were you when you came out?
JA: I came out to my family when I was 15. My family was very supportive, all but my father. It took him some time to come around, but he finally did. This year when I was competing in the Miss Gay New Jersey at Large pageant, he called me up crying and said, “I love you no matter what and you better bring home the crown.” I guess it worked because I won the title!

PGN: How did you get there?
JA: There’s a nightclub in New Jersey called Switch (formerly Connections) and I won the title there of Miss Switch. I represented them at the Miss New Jersey at Large event and competed in the categories of fundraising, personal interview, evening gown, comparative evening gown and talent. I won four out of five!

PGN: What was your talent?
JA: I did Joan Crawford from “Mommie Dearest.”

PGN: Fundraising?
JA: Yes, I work with the Beacon Light Fund. It is a nonprofit organization that offers small financial help to people living with AIDS or HIV. People diagnosed with AIDS or the disabling HIV disease can exhaust their financial resources quickly and it’s easy to fall to a subsistent level. We help pay for rent, utility and phone bills, special medical equipment and supplies and other expenses. I love organizing and planning events and I do a lot of drag shows to raise money. We also do a lot of work with children with HIV and AIDS. I hope to do a talent show that young people can compete in later this year.

PGN: Your favorite color is red. Why?
JA: Red is the symbol of love and it’s also a very strong and bold color.

PGN: What are your Scorpio traits, worst and best?
JA: Scorps are very vindictive, but we also love with a strong passion. I’d have to say I have a little of both those traits!

PGN: How did you get into female impersonation?
JA: I got started about 10 years ago, just going to clubs in New York City.

PGN: Who is your mentor?
JA: My drag mother, Miss Ashley Blake. She’s the current reigning Miss International Goddess. She was so supportive, she taught me how to keep it clean, to be consistent and to sell an illusion. Don’t worry if you can see the glue on your sequins backstage, go out and sell it!

PGN: What were some early signs that you would someday become Miss Gay New Jersey at Large?
JA: When I was a child, I loved Barbie dolls. I always wanted to be a cheerleader, but my father always used to force me to play soccer. I’d practice routines with my sister and her friends and they’d get mad because I did better splits and cartwheels than they did.

PGN: What record did you play over and over as a kid?
JA: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” which I do in my act now.

PGN: What’s your favorite TV show?
JA: I like “Maria la del Barrio,” a Latin soap opera. I also like reality shows. I love “I Love New York” on VH1 and “Project Runway” on Bravo.

PGN: Would you fight in a war?
JA: No, but I would start one if anyone messes with me!

PGN: What grabs your attention when a man walks by?
JA: My attention is not what I want him grabbing (winks) ...

PGN: What was your worst wardrobe malfunction?
JA: I was wearing a rhinestone baby-blue short dress and I started dancing. All of a sudden when I looked down, the dress had ridden all the way up to my waist revealing bright green and pink granny panties I had on underneath. I wanted to hide!

PGN: Who do you miss the most right now?
JA: I’d have to say my best friend Robert, aka Drama. We haven’t seen each other for a while because of our schedules, but I wish he could see how much I’ve grown in the past few years. I think his mouth would drop if he saw me performing today!

PGN: Are there any more pageants in store for you?
JA: There are definitely more pageants for me. I will be competing for Miss FFI (For Female Impersonator) National Plus on Sept. 8 and hopefully more pageants throughout the years to come. Honey, I’m just getting started!

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