Tony Ardolino, known as Tony Cannoli, will be representing the United States in the upcoming Mr. Gay World pageant. The event is already underway, and Cannoli is among the participants in South Africa. He is vying to become the “gayest in the world.” Before the winner is announced on Friday, here is some background on this fearless American participant.
Cannoli, a veteran of commercials and musicals, moved to Los Angeles after finishing high school. He worked with David Hasselhoff and Elvira before working for Universal in Singapore for two years. He started competing in pageants by joining the Mr. Gay Maine competition, which he won before advancing to win the title of Mr. Gay World USA.
As he shared in a recent interview, Cannoli was not having an easy time as a queer teen in New Jersey. He was bullied relentlessly, and social media even had pages devoted to derogatory comments about him. He only had his parents to rely on during this time, but he believed that his queerness would make him stronger, rather than weaker.
Cannoli has authored a queer retelling of classic fairy tales titled “Far, Far Away.” It has a gay Snow White, a lesbian Rapunzel, and a trans Cinderella as the main characters. He also wrote a children’s book called “Gill, the Merboy,” inspired by an interaction with a fan during a Paw Patrol performance. Cannoli also manages an organization called My Gay Big Brother, which offers mentorship to LGBTQ+ youth.
He shared his hope that his message of authenticity, self-love, and acceptance would resonate in the Mr. Gay World pageant. Cannoli emphasizes that one does not have to fit into a cookie-cutter mold or be a Ken doll; being authentic is the key to success.