Who says dreams don’t come true? Just last week, GayCities member Tyler Oakley was a cute kid with a bunch of YouTube followers, who enjoyed the quirky queer videos he posted from his Castro apartment.
Today he is the official winner of the GayCities 2012 Pride Photo Challenge!
Tyler’s photo, “Castro Pride,” took the grand prize, thanks to what can only be described as brilliant strategy: promising to personally meet and greet fans who voted for his photo when he takes his prize—a trip to New York City sponsored by our friends at JetBlue and Kimpton Hotels.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that his photo was simply adorable.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“I’m really excited to be heading to New York now that I’ve won the GayCities Challenge,” Tyler gushed when he learned of his victory. “Connecting with [people who watch my videos] is my absolute favorite thing in the world.”
Congrats to Tyler and the second place winner, GayCities member Daniel1776, who receives two nights at any Kimpton Hotel for his photo, “KeyWest, Florida, Pride” (at left).
Check outa slideshow of the finalists and photos from all the GayCities members who entered the Pride Photo Challenge here!
Tyler Oakley
Thanks for everyone who voted! I’m really excited to meet so many people while I’m in NYC, and hopefully a majority of them will be fans from the city who took the time to vote for me. Thanks GayCities, Queerty, JetBlue, and Kimpton!
Sam Luigi
Yay Tyler!
Kate Bushwhacked
ugh
San Fran
This photo was from Castro Street Fair. Not pride.
Still a good pic, just saying.
JRB
Oh for Christs sake, seriously?
Amanda
Way to go Tyler. 🙂
Carlos G.
Tyler OAKLEY is FIERCE! Congrats gurrrrllll!
Ash
Yay Tyler!! Congrats!!!
Tony
Gurl, werk! Congratulations Tyler, you deserve it!
edity
aww Tyler your smile is so precious.
Roni
YAY TYLER!!!! Congrats!!! You deserve it 🙂
Sophie
Yay Ty!! Congrats!!! Looking forward to meet you!
RT
no one says “dreams don’t true” but congrats anyway!
Fodolodo
Yay! He is so wonderful.
Allie
YAY TYLER! congrats! you deserve it 🙂 have fun meeting everyone
Florencia
Yay for Tyler! 😀
Kallie
Go Tyler! Get it, guuurrrrlll. <3 😀 CONGRATS!
Michelle
Tyler is great and he totally deserves his time to shine!
laci
CONGRATS tyler!!!! 🙂
Brendan
Woot! This is so awesome. Congrats!
Olivia
Congratulations tyler!! won’t be able to meet you becouse i live on the other side of the world (sweden) 🙁 but i’m very happy for you! ;D
cruz
did someone vet the veracity of this photo actually occurring on a gay pride weekend in SF this year? this looks more like castro street fair with it’s food vendors lining up corner of market and castro during this event, which happens every year in october. and where are the gay pride flags that usually line up market street in june? i didn’t know that you could just submit any picture from any event, so long as it contains a gayface.
no one
Thank you for making stereotypes a reality by winning with this picture.
Better still, winning a “pride photo challenge” with a picture not from pride.
You turned an artistic contest into a social media one.
Congrats.. I think?
no one
Additionally, Tyler since you are in the picture shouldn’t the person who took that photo of you have won?
You did nothing but mediawhore yourself out to win.
Nancy
Congrats, Tyler!
DamienEvans80
The Tyler Oakley haters need to just move to the left. Tyler does SO much not just for his fans, but for the entire LGBT community. We need more people like Tyler in the world today. I adore him and not just because he’s absolutely precious and adorable. If I could meet anyone in the world, it would be Tyler. He is such an impressive inspiration to me and to many. Thank you Tyler, I and many others love you!
ballerinanerdfighter
People don’t realize how caring Tyler Oakley is. When I met him in person he had been taking the time to get to know everyone and have a conversation with them each. He also supports the LGBT community so much as seen in his very large support of The Trevor Project and other LGBT causes. He is an inspiring person, so please, do the research before you judge others.
No Tea No Shave
Tyler looks sexy every season of the year and every day is Pride Day in SF. Love that angle and it capture the liveliness of the Castro perfectly. Congrats on a good win. NYC get ready.
jj
Anyone else notice how the times of all the Congratsss tyler!!! comments are all within 5 minutes of each other. busted! get a life tyler
allie
congrats tyler!!!! youre too cute, ive lost my ability to even! when are you going to be in NYC???
Gavin
Tyler – you are AMAZING. So glad you won this. You define us new gays and represent so well. Enjoy NYC 🙂
Miki
I’m so happy for you Tyler! I hope everyone has a great time in your meet up!
Donny
This misogynistic piece of crap? Okay.
Truthful
I puked a little.
San Fran
How is it being a hater by pointing out factual statements about this picture not being during pride. There were many applicants who took pride photos for the ‘pride photo contest’. Some people are just pointing out that this photo was from Castro Street Fair which isn’t even in the month of gay pride…so it’s kind of a stretch to let this photo classify as a winner of a pride photo.
Not hating, just observing. Someone can be as sweet and cute as they want, but if they win by not following rules, it seems disrespectful to those who did follow the rules.
Alex
I don’t know that the picture has to be from a pride event. It just says that it has to show pride in your city. It just looks like a crowd of people though…even if it is Castro.
David
Tyler Oakley is one of the biggest attention whores out there. Besides saying that he’s against bullying then doing nothing but attacking people on his blog to cyber-stalking people that criticize him Oakley has done nothing beneficial for any of us or the community.
It’s especially sad to see him steal an admittedly awesome prize from someone who actually did put effort into their contest entry just because a vain, self indulgent photo (that he didn’t take or feature anything pride related) got far more votes from all of the people that follow him and fell for his pleas to like that picture.