So.GAY returned to the reality TV spotlight on the latest episode of Bravo’s “Southern Hospitality,” where our latest cover starring Michols Peña was officially unveiled.
In the episode, which aired on May 20 and is available to stream on Peacock, So.GAY took over Charleston hot-spot Republic Garden & Lounge—where the cast works—for a celebratory cover reveal party DJ’d by Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star and So.GAY Ally of the Year Meredith Marks as well as Michols’ co-star Maddi Reese.
“I’m excited!” Michols told his co-stars Bradley Carter and Lake Rucker ahead of the event. “This is gonna be the gayest thing you’ve ever been to.”
“I got my prints back from the shoot that I did for So.GAY, and I’m super, super, super excited to share them with everyone,” he added in a confessional interview. “What better way to do it than to make it a girls and gays party that the straights can come to?”
And his pals made sure that the aspiring model recognized how major this moment was for his career.
“This is something that you should be proud of,” Lake told him. “You know the person that you are, you know the successes that you’ve achieved, and those are the things that you should be proud of. Just do your thing and complete your goals. You’re doing it!”
When it came to the party itself, Michols’ co-star Tj Dinch perhaps said it best: “This partier couldn’t be gayer: Drag queens? Gay. Naked pictures of Michols everywhere? Gay. Candy on the bar? Gay. Lake? Gay. And me? Gay.”
Before the cover was unveiled by So.GAY’s editor-in-chief Alex Hughes and Michols’ manager Cory Anderson of PRSYM Management, the 24-year-old addressed the star-studded crowd that included his boss and fellow Bravolebrity Leva Bonaparte, “Southern Charm” star Rodrigo Reyes and more.
“I wanna thank all my friends who have become my family within the past year and, obviously, Leva,” he said. “Within this past year, I’ve become more comfortable in my skin, and I’ve always wanted to model. I’m grateful that it happened sooner than I wanted, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else with anybody else.”
As for how it felt to have his So.GAY photo shoot out in the world? Michols couldn’t have been more elated.
“It feels unreal to see these pictures,” he gushed. “I feel like this is definitely the beginning of a successful career.”
