A new year, a new name!!! It is time again as we showed you in February for a new edition of Mister Gay Belgium (formerly known as Mister Gay Flanders). The twelve contestants for 2016 are known for the public and are looking forward to take over the reign of mister Gay Flanders 2015 Skelte Willems. They have their own message to bring out to the world and show why they should be named as Mister Gay Belgium 2016 at the 28th of May in Antwerp. Time for PINK IN OUR LIVES to put all candidates separately in the spotlight and give a taste of who they are. The third candidate is Ignace Vermeulen.
Ignace Vermeulen is 19 years old and is living in Zwijndrecht. He did his coming out in 2011 and his project is about “LGBT people in youth movement activities like the Boy Scouts”.
WAS YOUR COMING OUT EASIER OR MORE DIFFICULT THAN EXPECTED AND WHY?
“For me my coming out was very easy. My parents are tolerant people, who also had said on forehand that it doesn’t matter on what gender I will fall in love. So I knew in advance that my parents would accept me. In my high school I studied ART in Antwerp. Artistic people are often also open-minded people and I certainly felt that when I came out of the closet as gay. There is one place where I was really scared and that is with the Boy Scouts. I am member since my 7 years old and I did not quite know how my fellow members were going to respond. Strange, but true, also there it was very well accepted.”
WHO IS YOUR BIG IDOL/SEX SYMBOL OR GREAT EXAMPLE AND WHY?
“I am a huge fan of Beyoncé. Next to being an amazing singer and dancer, she also supports equal rights for everybody. Somebody like that can only encourage us!!!”
WHY IS YOUR THEME/PROBLEM SO IMPORTANT?
“The LGBT theme is very difficult to discuss with young people. A youth movement is a place where everyone should be themselves and where that theme should come up more often. There are also more peculiar situations that may be very difficult for some young people such as for example “washing together, sleeping together and other stuff”. But I believe there is a time has come is where this special group is ready for change and acceptance. They are the future and we need to build for that.”
WHAT IS YOUR BEST AND WORST QUALITY?
“My best quality is that I am a very open person and make very easy new contacts”.
“My worst quality is that I am very untidy. I forget a lot and I can’t organize. Another thing is that I am very jealous too”.
TELL US A SECRET ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU?
“I wanted to be a professional Football Player”.
WHAT WILL YOUR FUTURE LOOK LIKE IN TEN YEARS?
“I hope that I am able to do what I love doing and preferable in a practicing job. I also hope to be involved in youth work, which makes me feel forever young”.
SHORT REACTIES ON THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:
FAVORITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION: “NEW YORK CITY”
DATING-APPS: “As long it all stays decent”
SEXIEST HUNK: 
“Timo Descamps”
MARRIAGE OR GETTING CHILDREN: “Marriage”
PINK IN OUR LIVES: “Divas and sixpacks”
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: “like love on Tinder”
FAVORITE MOVIE: “Step Up (1,2,3,4 and 5)”
MISTER GAY BELGIUM: “will know at the 28th of May”
Thank you for your answers Ignace and for letting my readers and your voters getting to know you better. You can vote for him through this link with OutTv: https://www.facebook.com/OUTTVBE/app/129570913824547?app_data=39392
May the best GAY win!!! Thank you also photographers Johan Vos, Marc Drofmans, Kevin Wuyts, Emmanuel Deprijckere, Ivo Gautier, René Emmerink and Johan Cansse for the great pictures of all the candidates and www.welovemisses.be for the video.
See more at www.mrgaybelgium.be and please follow us for more about the contestants at Facebook, Youtube, Instagram , Twitter or Tumblr
Big kiss,
Lesley Middleton