Blog 3/9/26

Congratulations to Miss Gay Ohio America 2025… Maja Jera!

Last November, many of us were getting ready for the holidays. Miah Turiaga (They/Them), an Equitas Health Prevention Program Specialist, was preparing to compete for Miss Gay Ohio America 2025 as Maja Jera. Miss Gay Ohio America (MGOA) is a state-level qualifying pageant for Miss Gay America (MGA). MGA is the oldest national drag pageant system, crowning the first Miss Gay America, Norma Kristie, in 1972. After the holiday crush, Equitas Health caught up with Miah to talk about Maja Jera’s historic MGOA 2025 win.

Equitas Health (EQH) | Hi Miah! First of all, congratulations on being crowned Miss Gay Ohio America 2025!
Miah Turiaga (MT) | Thank you so much! I’m so excited to chat with you today.

EQH | And I’m so excited to learn more about you and Maja Jera, but let’s start with Miah. Tell us a little bit about you.
MT | Well, my name is Miah Turiaga. I use they/them pronouns, and I am a Prevention Program Specialist at Equitas Health on the Brothers in Unity team. I have been at Equitas Health since January 2024.

EQH | What drew you to working at Equitas Health?
MT | I am very passionate about HIV care, testing, and prevention. Everyone, regardless of their HIV status, needs to understand how to take care of their sexual health. Everyone needs factual and affirming sex education to take care of themselves and their community.

EQH | Tell us about Maja Jera! How long have you been doing drag? How did you create your name? Do you have inspirations?
MT | I have been performing as Maja Jera since April 2018. I consider Maja the embodiment of a Filipino teleserye (soap opera) villain who has turned into an anime.

EQH | Wow! I’m in. Did someone in particular inspire you?
MT | My favorite Filipino actress is Maja Salvador, who usually plays a soap opera villain. I knew I wanted to take that name. “Maja Jera” comes from “mahadera,” a Filipino/ Spanish word for a dramatic villain.

A lot of my drag inspirations, in terms of aesthetic and color palette, come from characters like Boa Hancock from One Piece and the Joker. I’m also inspired by drag entertainers like Virginia West, Mary Nolan, Aquaria, Jaida Essence Hall, Alyssa Edwards, and Kim Chi.

EQH | What is your favorite look you’ve ever done? Pictures, please!
MT | My favorite look is Donquixote Doflamingo from One Piece. Doflamingo is considered the baddest villain in anime history, so I turned him into a drag look. I love experimenting with different hair, but wearing a short, bus driver wig was way out of my comfort zone. But it also shows that drag and cosplay can live together. I am very excited to do more anime-based looks.

EQH | What does drag mean to YOU?
Drag to me means a continuation of history. Queer history and LGBTQ+ rights are built on the backs of black and brown trans women and drag entertainers. Trans people and drag entertainers risked their lives to be unapologetically themselves and fight for the future of the LGBTQ+ community. I have been called slurs while walking down the street. I have been to shows and Prides where armed protestors traumatized families. I have been refused service by establishments simply because I had makeup on. Despite all of that, I find strength in the resilience that has raised me as a queer person.

EQH | You are the first AAPI to win Miss Gay Ohio America. CONGRATULATIONS! Can you tell us more about your experience as an AAPI drag artist?
MT | I am proud to be the first Asian American AND openly non-binary Miss Gay Ohio America. As a second-generation Asian American immigrant (specifically Filipino), I have faced mockery, ignorance, and shame. My whole life has been endless questions like “is it true that you eat cats and dogs?” or “Why does your food smell like that?” At a certain point, I pushed through that ignorance and lived my life proud of being Asian American.

With drag, it was like reliving all of that ignorance again. When I started doing drag, I performed K-Pop songs like Blackpink, and no one got it. I had to relive racist ignorance where drag queens would say things like “Well, you don’t have to do much with makeup. You’re Asian, you already look like a girl?” or “It must be nice to get shoes from anywhere with your tiny, Asian feet.”

EQH | That must have been hard. I’m so sorry that happened to you.
MT | Thank you. It was, but it fueled me to push for more representation, to fight through the ignorance and racism, and show that AAPI entertainers have just as much of a right to be on that stage. We just want to entertain, be happy, and live unapologetically. The first step is to be proud of who we are and not back down to hate.

EQH | How long have you been competing in the Miss Gay America system?
MT | I have competed for Miss Gay Ohio America 3 times and once for Miss Gay Midwest, a regional pageant. The first year, I had NO clue what I was doing and was just happy to try something new. The second time, I made 4^th alternate, and that momentum kept me going. Last year, the third time was the charm!

I am the second Miss Gay Ohio America from Equitas Health. Danny Thomas, also on the Prevention team, won in 2022 as Cherry Poppins. Like Danny, I am using my reign to bring awareness to sexual health through community outreach.

EQH | How is your approach to pageantry different than your approach to drag shows?
MT | With pageantry, I can remain focused when I’m creating something with months to prepare, rather than something due next week. The audiences at local drag shows expect you to have something new and exciting every week, which usually means spending more than what you get from your booking fee and tips. With pageantry, I can save up along the way to produce quality garments, build props, or hire dancers.

EQH | What was the most challenging part of the pageant?
MT | Interview was a really challenging category. There’s a lot of pressure to give the “right answer” to win. Think about Miss Congeniality and answering every question with “WORLD PEACE!” Throughout my time in pageantry, I also believed I had to provide the “right answer” to win, and that was always my downfall. This time around, I relaxed, talked about my actual interests, and showed my real personality. I ended up talking about Dragon Ball Z and how Goku’s character inspires me to be brave, kind, and resilient. You don’t have to put on a façade. The judges want to hear your real story, and I’m just a big nerd who loves talking about nerdy things!

EQH | What responsibilities does the title of Miss Gay Ohio America bring?
MT | The Miss Gay America pageant proudly stands as “The Symbol of Excellence.” Excellence means being a strong example for one’s community, a great entertainer, poised both in and out of drag, and an effective administrator. As Miss Gay Ohio America, I must represent our state with inspiration and purpose while establishing and supporting preliminary pageants across Ohio. Over the next year, I will travel to cities throughout the state to seek out new contestants and help set them up for success at the state level.

EQH | What do you hope to accomplish with your title?
MT | I am especially excited to focus on HIV care and prevention advocacy. As a young queer person, I grew up hearing harmful misconceptions about HIV and was threatened with disownment if I ever contracted it. I know many other young queer people who have similar experiences or have been disowned without knowing how to care for themselves. My goal as Miss Gay Ohio America and a community member is to support those who need help caring for themselves and their loved ones. They don’t have to go through it alone.