By Mikkel Hyldebrandt
Photos: Evening Star Photography
JaredLance Huston Kerschner, who moved to Atlanta in 2014 from a small Mormon community in the Nevada desert, started competing in Male Entertainment within the drag umbrella in 2023. His motivation to compete was fueled by the loss of his mother in 2022, and he saw it as a way to honor her memory by becoming the success story she always knew he’d be. Once Jared found pageantry, there was no looking back, and he knew he was meant to be Gay America Esquire one day – a title he won at this year’s Gay America Esquire 2026!
First, congratulations on your newly won title of Gay America Esquire 2026! how does it feel to be a national title holder?
Whoa! Honestly? I don’t think hearing that will ever get old. You know? It’s been such a long 3 years of competing back-to-back. When I first got involved, I literally knew NOTHING about the pageant world, but knowing that determination, setting a goal, and remaining focused can earn you the win is literally my dream come true.
Tell us about the pageant system that you competed in. What were the different disciplines you needed to complete?
I competed and am now the National Symbol of Excellence within the male division of the Gay America Pageantry system known as Gay America Esquire 2026 (GAE)! And wow. The disciplines were hard but very manageable when you have a team behind you that wants the best for you and believes in you as an individual. I was lucky to qualify in June 2025, and the competition was in May 2026. I had exactly 11 months to properly prepare and present the best version of myself in each category. I had to limit which opinions I focused on while also making sure I never compromised the vision I had set for myself. The biggest discipline I would say is canceling out the “noise” of people who think they know best when, in actuality, you know what’s best for you at the end of the day.
Since you are very familiar with the pageant system, what was the biggest challenge competing in Gay America Esquire 2026?
I think the biggest challenge competing in the Gay America pageantry system isn’t even with the system itself, it’s with the idea of what people think Gay America is or should be. The male division in the Gay America system has had some major changes in the last few years: a name change, a change of ownership, and a format change, since ‘Presentation’ is no longer a category. Although changes have happened, change is an opportunity for growth and for all of us to look for areas of opportunity to better ourselves as entertainers, administrators, and the organization as a whole. There is no “formula” on how to win within the American system. The system wants you to be your most authentic self while showing what you can bring to shake it up, ALL the while honoring the legacy that’s been laid before us.
What do you think was the factor(s) that made you the winner?
At the end of the day, it’s anyone’s game, right? But I think what set me apart from the other contestants was that I was the only contestant in this year’s class to have competed for the last 2 consecutive years, making this my third in a row. Having gone back-to-back years, I was diligent about speaking with the judges from years past to see where I needed to polish, what I should focus on and what I didn’t need to NOT put so much emphasis on. I put my head down, I knew what I wanted to present and how I wanted to present it. I took advice from maybe 3 people in total, combined their insights with my vision, and maintained that focus from qualifying all the way to the very last category.
Obviously, you didn’t do this on your own. Who were the key people in your support system?
There’s a ton of people to mention from Matthew with “The Art of Embellishment”, and Tabbi Katt, who loaned me my dancers’ costumes. But aside from my amazing husband, Dorian, who’s been in my corner the entire time, my dresser, Taejah Thomas, made the majority of my competitive outfits and really lent me a lot of insight into male pageantry. My promoters, Ritchie & Robbie, from Johnson City, TN, were my sounding boards when I needed them the most. Eboni Alexander, who was by my side the whole time prepping for nationals, has been in my corner and a great supporter for my mental health the whole way through.
For those interested in exploring competing in Gay America Esquire or another pageant, what advice would you give to them?
Everyone has a seat within the Gay America Pageantry system. It’s just finding the table that you belong at and pulling up your own chair. One great thing to highlight regarding Gay America Esquire is that we encourage trans men and cisgender men to compete at all levels of competition. We only require that you present the best version of YOU and showcase what makes YOU the next Symbol of Excellence.
And what is something that you have learned from competing that you can use every day?
Listen. Listen to the people who have been in your shoes before, have won their title, and have since stepped down. They knew what they needed to do to showcase the best version of themselves in front of that panel of judges. As national title holders, we want everyone to be at their best, and we wish for everyone to have a successful showing when they are on that stage. As competitors, we have to put aside our own egos and listen to what the feedback is saying, as well as maneuvering how to apply that feedback and staying true to who we are as entertainers.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Someone asked me at the victory show if I was surprised that I won. My answer to them was yes, but also no. Yes, because this competition truly could have gone any direction, and I’m fully aware of what the other contestants were bringing and that the competition was going to be strong. But no, I wasn’t surprised because I really worked my butt off, stayed focused, and kept my head down throughout all preparations. “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance” as Taejah Thomas would say! I put in the work, listened to my feedback, and stayed true to myself. That’s the winning formula if there ever was one. And if I, a very disenfranchised poor child from a Mormon community, can win Gay America Esquire, then you can too! This has been an absolute dream come true for me, and it’s an honor to represent myself truly with this National Title.
If any potential contestants would like to compete, reach out to me directly through my social medias or my official email at “GayAmericaEsquire2026@Gmail.com”. Gay America Esquire 2027 will be held May 13-15th in Kansas City, Missouri, at the MTH theatre.
