NEW IBERIA, La. — Travis Guillory, a New Iberia native and former television journalist, has been crowned Miss Gay America 2026, winning the title in his second year competing in the national drag pageant.
Guillory grew up in New Iberia and began performing in theater at age 9 at IPAL at the Essanee Theater. After college, he joined the KATC team, working first on the digital desk before moving into reporting.
"I was able to work with people that I grew up watching on TV, and it was so cool and so fun, and to get to learn journalism because I hadn't gone to school for it, from just these TV legends in the area was such a cool experience for me and really taught me so much," Guillory said.
From newsroom to the stage
Guillory later moved to a station in Oklahoma. After that chapter ended, he became executive director of the state's oldest and largest nonprofit theater company, continuing to perform throughout.
His introduction to drag came through a stage role.
"I got cast in a play in Tulsa where I had to play a drag queen and I had never really gotten in drag — I didn't know anything about it, so I basically taught myself how to do drag for that," he said.
After the production, others began asking him to perform. Guillory said he initially pushed back, telling people he had only done drag for the one play — a response he compared to how he used to describe his news career.
"I would always tell people I'm not a news anchor, but I play one on TV," he said.
Tracy La Louisianne takes the crown
From those early performances, his drag persona Tracy La Louisianne emerged. Solo shows followed, and Guillory eventually competed in Miss Gay America for the first time in 2025, finishing in the top 10.
"That first year that I went to Miss Gay America in 2025, a lot of things started clicking for me, a lot of bells started going off, and I thought, OK, I think this is the thing that everything's been funneling to," he said.
This year, he returned and won.
"It's cool that the same kid that was on the IPAL stage, the same Tracy that was like doing cabarets in Tulsa when she first started, like it's that same kid just now going all around the country doing the same thing that I was doing at 9 years old. I just happen to have a lot of makeup and a wig and a dress on," Guillory said.
Reflecting on the journey, Guillory said he thinks about the child who first stepped onto a stage in New Iberia nearly 25 years ago.
"If that 9-year-old kid who was on this stage almost 25 years ago would see the Travis that I am today, I think that kid would be like, wow. You made it," he said.
