Meet Mr. Gay World 2015 — Klaus Burkart

Germany’s Klaus Burkart has won the annual Mr. Gay World competition held this past weekend in South Africa. The fit 21-year-old ‘milk technician’ (he helps nurse newborns) beat out strong contenders from Australian, New Zealand and Spain.

Similar to beauty pageants like Miss Universe (open only to Earth-bound women), the Gay World competition tested the fashion sense, athletic abilities and gay-rights from 21 finalists.

“I would like to lead the world to a point where it is not essential to even have a coming out,” Burkart, who is hopeful of an accepting future, he wrote in his profile.

Burkart wants to tour schools and be a role model to young gay men, believing coming out should be a normal everyday thing.

The US was not represented at this years event, and no US finalist has won the title. In it’s 7th year, finalists have come from Ireland, South Africa (twice), Australia (twice), the UK, and now Germany. Of course selecting one man to represent the gay community based partly on beauty and athletic skill only enforces unrealistic ideals of male beauty in the gay community.