Troy Michael is the new Mr. Gay World and brings a new mission to his crown.
Michael lives in Alaska and has competed in multiple pageants including Mr. Gay Iceland. Although he has participated in Mr. Gay World before, he wanted his message to be different this year.
This time, Michael competed on a platform that advocates for mental health. It's a very personal topic for him.
Gay life can be taxing, especially when it comes to physique issues. Social interactions often turn sexual, and body image anxiety becomes widespread. In that sense, Michael is like many other gay men, even if the mainstream media doesn't show it.
When you look around at magazine covers, all you see are ripped abs and bulging biceps. As Mr. Gay World 2023, Michael is showing there is another way.
“Most people in the gay world say I'm unwell,” he says. “You have no idea how much backlash I received at this tournament.”
Don't get me wrong. Michael is in great condition. He says he was tired of toiling in a state of depression and changed his lifestyle for the sake of his mental health. There's no such thing as a panacea, and Michael is quick to stress that addressing mental health is an ongoing process, but his new health habits saved his life.
With sections on LGBTQ+ history, politics, and social impact, Mr. Gay World is much more than just a beauty pageant. Michael won in his three categories and wowed the judges with his social responsibility campaign.
Michael, a gay man living in Alaska, is used to going against the norm. He sees Mr. Gay World as the ideal platform to spread his message of self-love and inclusivity.
strange I recently caught up with Michael to talk about his fitness journey, mixed reactions on social media, and his dating life on The Last Frontier. Here’s what he had to say…
Questioner: You are a gay man living in Alaska. Is it as lonely as it sounds?
Troy Michael: This is definitely different than other gay cities around the world! It's not New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. It's quite different here. Alaska, especially Anchorage, is a very red state. But for me, especially in this contest, I think it's what you make of it. It's not popular here, but what you do with it makes it popular. So having these conversations and normalizing the gay community here is one of my favorite things to do.
Is there a dating scene?
Hmm…here's the grindle! There is a date scene. He has one gay bar, Mad Myrna's, which is a really cool place. In fact, he is one of my favorite places. So here's the scene. But it depends on who and what you're looking for. However, I think the dating scene is definitely less here than in other places I've lived.
How do you connect mental health and fitness?
My fitness journey has been an emotional roller coaster. I think it also has a positive impact on mental health. In 2018 I was diagnosed with depression and was just figuring out how to deal with it and live a happy life. I also did research alongside therapy. I have noticed from personal experience that I now feel happier every time I work out. My mind became more positive. So I started working out specifically for my mental health.
Once I realized how good it made me feel inside, I just kept doing it and the results came from there. It had nothing to do with me wanting to have a six-pack or be muscular. I don't care about that. I was focused on taking care of myself mentally. It really boosts my morale and helps me live a positive life.
What kind of reaction did you get on social media?
In the gay world, most people say I'm unwell. How much backlash I got in this contest, from people posting pictures of me with other contestants and saying, “How did this fat guy win?” to all sorts of things. I don't understand. In my case, I have thick skin.
I'm not here to be a supermodel. I'm here to advocate for suicide prevention.
However, the feedback is more positive than negative. The message is very moving. Many people find it more meaningful to them to see someone who has a mental health platform, someone who has actually lived the experience and is advocating for what they have lived. He says he is proud of that. There are many people in the world, so you can choose a cause and become an ally. We love being allies in all things. But I think it's more real and authentic when you actually experience it, and that's a lot of what I see and hear online. It makes me really happy that people are seeing and hearing my message.
What is your best advice for people struggling with their mental health or body image?
Please do your research. I think it's important for anyone struggling with a mental health condition to understand the resources available. Think about what you can do from a self-care perspective. Exercise, surround yourself with positive people and uplifting things, and figure out how to do those things for yourself. Understanding that is the main goal.
You need to be proud and love yourself. There are a lot of people who will say negative things about you, whether it's your weight, your sexuality, your political affiliation, whatever it is. What you need to focus on is loving yourself and offering and acting with what's inside of you to the world. When you start standing up for what you believe in, you don't just feel good about yourself. You are going to change the world!
What does the reigning Mr. Gay World like to do?
I love playing tennis. I played tennis during my university days, so I would like to start playing tennis again. I look at it often. I love the outdoors.
I'm a huge board game geek. I love playing board games. I'd rather spend the evening drinking wine and playing board games than going out to a club party. That's more my scene.
