The Queerties 2012: Remembering the Launch Party at Industry Bar in New York

The winners in the first ever Queerty awards, The Queerties 2012, have finally been revealed! We teamed up with BuzzFeed to give you the winners.

Much like the AMA’s, there were no major upsets as divas like Ms. Hillary Clinton and Ms. Willam Belli snatched the coveted titles after the quarter-million votes were tallied. Willam, unlike Clinton, ran a very successful social media campaign, Tweeting and posting on Facebook urging voters to get her good every day. She was nominated in two categories this year actually, so we now like to refer to her as the Julianne Moore of Queerty.

Speaking of successful social media campaigns, Tyler Oakley won both of his categories, which leaves the Internet’s sweetheart with nothing else to win but Celebrity Apprentice? It was great to see nominees spreading the word about the campaign, which I think was all fueled by a very boozy (thanks Absolut!) kick-off event at New York’s Industry Bar. Remember that? I still can’t believe we salvaged all the iPads…

Tyler and his twink-posse were there! Also in attendance: Sam Lansky (Idolator), Alex Goldschmidt (Karpel Group), Calvin Stowell (DoSomething.org), photographer Justin Violini, promoters Sasha Seven and Brian Rafferty, Bryan Moylan (formerly Gawker), Ben Harvey (Six Pack), Nathan Manske (I’m From Driftwood), Alex Hughes (HomoLife), Maty Chavez, Wil Gumucio, writer Jeffrey Hartinger, the fabulous Claudio Maddox, Dan Macsai (Time), Stacey Llambe (BuzzFeed), Kurt Soller (NY Mag), T. Kyle (RealityTVGifs), NOT Jonathan Bender :P

Check out all the pics by JJ Keyes:

Go-Go Boy Tell-All: ‘Shaking It Is My Ministry’

I get to see the drag queens perfecting their tuck game in the back of the club and watch drunken one night stands spring to life on the dance floor. Some friends make fun of my new side gig, saying my nurse-slash-exotic dancer existence is like the plot line of a low budget indie film. To my Southern Baptist family back home, I tell them that God blessed me with a bountiful butt, and shaking it is my ministry. To my medical colleagues, I tell them that with the stress of literally holding someone’s life in my hands all day, it’s comforting to think some people fantasize about holding parts of me in their hands all night.

– Will Wikle, Sugarland dancer and former Big Brother contestant, gives Paper magazine all the dirt from on top of the go-go boy perch.