MISS CAMP AMERICA — 10TH ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIR T-SHIRT
Celebrate one of queer America’s most delightfully over-the-top traditions with this replica 10th Anniversary Miss Camp America souvenir tee. The real Miss Camp America pageant—founded in Dallas in 1964 by the irrepressible Phil Johnson—was part drag revue, part beauty contest, part camp satire, and entirely a fundraiser for local LGBTQ+ charities long before mainstream Pride fundraising existed. What started as a cheeky backyard spoof of Miss America grew into a beloved Texas institution that mixed sequins, slapstick, social activism, and unapologetic queer joy.
Each year, contestants competed in extravagant homemade gowns, comedic talent numbers, and “interviews” that were as campy as they were political. The pageant raised tens of thousands of dollars for community causes, especially during the early AIDS years—cementing its status as both a celebration and a lifeline.
