Trini finalist in Mr Gay Great Britain competition

A Trinidadian was a finalist in the Mr Gay Great Britain competition, which took place on Saturday at the Alnwick Garden in the north of England.

Rhian Guererro is from east Trinidad and comes from a well-known singing and parang family.

A media statement on Friday from Sean Annandsingh of Babash Media and Events said Guererro has been travelling the world over the last ten years, including a couple of years in Shanghai, China, where he taught English to Chinese schoolchildren.

Guererro is also a very successful cabaret performer in Shanghai, where he wowed audiences with his vocal talents and electrifying staging in performances of Michael Jackson, Prince and even Maria Carey.

“Guererro has continued singing in the UK and has been sending the crowds wild with his passionate pop performances and genderbending costume style,” the statement said.

“The singing performances he posts online through social media have been winning him legions of fans and his cover of Des’ree’s song You Gotta Be even drew praise from Des’ree herself, whose parents are from Barbados and Guyana.”

TT LGBT activist Jason Jones, who lives in the UK, commenting on his achievement, said: “Rhian is a rising star! He has a fantastic voice and a commanding onstage presence, and he is very easy on the eye as well. I am so proud to see a gay Trinbagonian making a stand for himself and our community.

“He absolutely deserves to be in the final of Mr Gay UK, and although I can’t attend the show in person, I’ll be cheering for him loudly and proudly and waving the red, white, and black and the rainbow flag.”

The statement said Jones is set to appear in the Appeal Court in October in Attorney General Reginald Armour’s appeal of the 2018 High Court ruling that decriminalised homosexuality.

On Saturday afternoon, Mr Gay Great Britain Facebook page announced that a contestant identified only as “Paul @paul_cc123” of the UK had won the contest.