The 25th annual Night Of A Thousand Gowns black tie dinner dance, 
coronation & fundraiser at New York's Marriott Marquis was an endless catwalk of jaw-dropping pageantry, teeming with the most outrageous drag queens and regal offbeat military dress I have witnessed.I about burned out my Nikon capturing the
action—and this time, there was nothing covert about snapping picolas of the fanfare. After all, if you spent weeks planning an outfit, make-up, wigs and accessories, wouldn't you want everyone to remember?
It was a surreal event no one attending will forget... gowns and clowns, so many cascading dress trains and whack revelry. More than 1,000 attended, with a royal brigade of monarchs, emperors & empresses, the Imperial Court and knighthoods... Thankfully, there was an open bar.Funds went to youth organizations The Trevor Project and Ali Forney Center. Tix, along with a silent auction and honorary titles for purchase, started at $225, so figure the event raised a minimum of $250,000 for gay equality.
Enough chatter. This is one time where pictures tell the story better than any words I could conjure.
On the red carpet, from top left: Wilson Cruz, Sir Ari Gold, Sylvia Tosun, Chi Chi Larue, TJ Kelly. Bottom: Tom Shivers, Rollerena, Mike Ruiz, David Mixner, Cherry Poppins.
