LIYANNA Grey will represent Jamaica in the 2010 Gay Caribbean/USA Pageant today in New York City, US.

Grey is one of eight transvestite contestants who will make their first public appearance at the event in the borough of Brooklyn. They will be featured in attire described by the event organiser entrepreneur Hemish Gervis as “Wow Wear” consisting of “over-the- top attire” designed by Caribbean, New York-based designers like Jennefer Darmanie and Gennell Lewis.

Grey will have stiff competition from Ven Detta St Mykael of Barbados, Sassy Sylvia representing St Kitts, Victoria of Guyana, Kelis representing the Dominican Republic, St Lucia’s Lady Blu and Jennifer Banks representing Trinidad and Tobago.

Jamaica’s Mimi Mancini won the crown last year in the pageant’s first staging.

Grey, who spoke to the Observer’s sister publication Chat! last month, said that her presence in the pageant demonstrated that Jamaica is not completely homophobic. Grey added that Jamaicans are mostly tolerant of the gay lifestyle and that the island has been negatively labelled. Jamaica is described by critics as the most homophobic country in the western hemisphere. Others counter that gay violence within the island is often committed by lovers within that community.

Grey, who is studying nursing, loves animals and dresses in drag in her spare time. She entered the pageant in order to take on a challenge during her summer holidays. Grey, born in the US of Jamaican parentage, often visits relatives in Jamaica. She plans to return upon completion of her studies.