Reigning Miss Gay Oklahoma America 2025, Yakisoba Zay Michaels Brooks
First Asian American to earn the title
- by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief
“My name is Yakisoba Zay Michaels Brooks. That is a tough name to say for some people.”
And that is the name of our 2025 Miss Gay Oklahoma America (MGOA). She is the first Asian American to hold this title.
“I believe that in the political culture that we live in, from the steps outside of COVID, where Asian hate was rampant in this country, it means more than ever that I am the first Asian American Miss Gay Oklahoma.”
That history in the making is 47 years of Miss Gay Oklahoma pageantry.
“I remember coming to Oklahoma and thinking that I did not belong in the America [pageant] system because there was nobody that looked like me in the former queens,” said Brooks. “That made me more motivated to become the first!”
In 2024, Brooks missed winning the title by eight points.
“I was so close the year before,” said Brooks. “I was motivated to become that figure that little Asian boys and girls could look up to, like how I needed that type of role model when I was younger.”
Brooks was raised in Orange County, California and moved to Oklahoma four years ago to pursue her Master’s in Education.
Brooks has done work educating people about HIV, including being part of the calendar for End HIV
Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the epidemic of HIV in Oklahoma.
“Yakisoba was chosen to be a part of the End HIV Oklahoma calendar by a rigorous application process,” said Chris Anderson, President and Project Coordinator at End HIV Oklahoma. “We select Drag Queens for the calendar from around the state of Oklahoma to become Dragtavists for educating people about HIV.
“We are so proud of our Miss April 2025 Dragtavists Yaki and her new Miss Gay Oklahoma crown,” Anderson added.
Brooks has also performed at the AIDS Walk OKC twice, and she helps educate people about getting tested by teaching sexual education classes to OU students during the first two weeks of school.
“As the reigning Miss Gay Oklahoma America 2025, I understand the responsibility and privilege that come with having a platform,” said Brooks. “I believe in using that visibility to advocate for nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to support our most vulnerable communities.”
Brooks said she has also experienced bullying and struggles with mental health. “I know the life-changing impact of being able to talk to someone, access resources, and find a supportive community.”
These experiences have inspired her to partner with The Rainbow Youth Project to make a real difference.
“Throughout my reign, I will be donating 25 percent of all my performance tips to Rainbow Youth Project USA, to help fund their essential work providing mental health care and suicide prevention resources to LGBTQIA2SP+ youth across Oklahoma and the nation.”
Brooks said one of her favorite stories is that when the former Miss Gay America (MGA) Tatiyanna Voche (2023) had to say her name on stage, she wanted Brooks to feel welcome in the experience.
“She called both of my promoters and me to make sure she said my name right on that stage,” Brooks said. “When she was able to get the pronunciation correctly, she took a video of how to say my name and posted it in the host chat for the MGA system so everyone could hear how to say my name correctly.
“For me, that is not just honoring the diverse community of contestants but truly making them feel like they belong!”
Brooks said she will use her title to help people better understand her culture through dialogue and exposure.
To become a candidate for the Miss Gay America Pageant system, candidates must compete in a preliminary pageant before the state pageant of that year.
“The preliminary pageant that I competed in this year was Route 66 America, which my MGOA sister, Shantel Mandalay, promotes,” Brooks said.
Mandalay said to Brooks, “Hey girl, have you ever thought about doing America?”
Brooks said she has always been a “comedy girl” and did not think she could make it in such a prestigious system as MGA.
“But I buckled down and did the work,” Brooks exclaimed.
Brooks has held the following other titles: Miss Oklahoma Comedy Queen 2022, Miss Norman Pride, Miss Oklahoma City Pride, Miss Yellow Rose Comedy Queen, Miss Gay Lawton America and Miss Gay Route 66 America.
The history behind the name, Yakisoba Zay Michaels Brooks:
I was in my freshman year of college, and I went to the art store. I was trying to find a drag name, and, inspired by Kimchi the Drag Queen, I found inspiration in the instant noodle pack Yakisoba! “Zay” is from my drag mom, Alizay. Michaels is from my very first drag mom, Krystal Archer Michaels, and Brooks is from my drag dad, Odey Davenport Brooks.
The Gayly online. 12/18/2025 @ 5:06 p.m. CST.