Montreal Crowns San Diegan as "Queer of the Year" Winner

Montreal, Quebec - The votes have been counted and Montreal has announced a winner in the"Queer of the Year" contest. This year's "Queer of the Year" is Jason Wimberly of San Diego, California. Jason won the ultimate title after a week of fierce competition amongst five other competitors in Montreal.

Contestants showed the world how they can heat it up in the kitchen, behind the camera, on the runway, in their own communities and even on ice during Montreal's Pride festivities last week. All of the excitement was captured on film and posted at www.queeroftheyearcontest.com where viewers were able to keep up with the action and vote for their favorite contestants.

At the end of the competition, Jason was the finalist with the most public votes combined with the most points from the judges, winning the ultimate title of QUEER OF THE YEAR. Jason was strong throughout the competition, finishing in first place in all but one of the challenges (in which he was a close second). He rocked the sex appeal photo shoot with Montreal photographer Nico Stinghe. After taking part in the parade on Sunday, August 14, which marked the end of Montreal's Pride Week celebrations, Jason was awarded the prize of $5,000 CAD and was crowned.

Jason has been ready for his close-up since he was a kid. As a teen he went from cheerleading right into modeling and the world of high fashion marketing, which means he doesn't get on a plane without fake eyelashes and stilettos. He's a self-employed fashion expert, entertainer, spokesperson, TV host, dancer, fitness coach and activist. But don't let his colorful passport and 8-pack fool you. He says his loving, small-town family is the reason he is who he is today.

Some highlights of Jason's week in Montreal included visits to:
Parking Nightclub - http://www.parkingbar.com
Bota Bota Spa - http://www.botabota.ca/en.html
Uranium Boutique - http://www.uranium.ws/
Grumman '78 - http://grumman78.com/?lang=en
Atrium le 1000 Skating - http://www.le1000.com/en/home.php

There are many great reasons for Jason to come back, or for anyone to visit...
Bursting with exciting festivals and fun outdoor activities, Montreal is one of the world's liveliest summer cities and a hotspot for gays and lesbians in all spheres of life.

The city's "Village" is at the heart of the action. Until Labor Day weekend the entire village (one of the biggest in the world - 15 city blocks along Montreal's main street, Ste-Catherine) becomes a fantastic pedestrian walkway with public art, patios and performances. But gay and lesbian life isn't just in the Village - it extends throughout the entire city. Arrival is easy and you'll discover hotels at every price point along with tons of free activities to enjoy.

Tourism Montreal is offering great packages from summer through December, including the LGBT Package with hotel rates starting as low as $129 CAD per night. This package also includes free public transport tickets to see all that the city has to offer! Visit http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Offers/Gay-Travel for a listing of participating hotels, terms, conditions and additional offers.

For more information, the latest Montreal LGBT news and to revisit all of the Queer of the Year contest action...

Become a fan of Montreal "Queer of the Year" on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/QOTYcontest

Visit Tourism Montreal's Gay Life blog: http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/

Follow "Queer of the Year" on Twitter: http://twitter.com/QOTYContest
Visit the "Queer of the Year" YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/QOTYcontest