Miss Alternative Buffalo Beauty Pageant Queens 2025

Eliza Speece/Bleu Darling

“Hello, I am Bleu Darlin’, your Miss Congeniality Alternative Buffalo 2025 and I grew up in California and have lived in Buffalo for 3 years now. I am your local femme drag queen, mentor, singer and DV advocate. My first experience learning about abuse in relationships happened when I was 17 years old in which a partner would say cruel things about myself, frequently manipulate me into believing untrue things and would frequently use sex as a weapon to get what they wanted. When I left, I was met with constant contact, leaving papers and various things surrounding my home to find and even saw them outside my window watching me late one night. It was a week later something happened that changed my life. I was asleep and he was hovering over me, asking me questions (I talk in my sleep) and when I awoke to bloodshot eyes, alcohol breath staring at me, I was in shock why they were in my bedroom. I had asked about any drugs or alcohol they had in their system.They said both, I got up and ran to my door trying to get my mother, the nurse, to come and help me. In the midst of this, their ear tore from a recent surgery and they escaped before my parents came to help. After calling the police, I was told that they could press charges on me because they had blood on them, so it looked like I attacked them. Immediately the next morning my mother took me to file for a restraining order. I had gone through my phone to seek additional evidence of them breaking in, but they had already gone through it to delete evidence,except the voicemails. I was thankful I was still able to put in a 5 year restraining order. I was 17, senior year of high school navigating a breakup that no one close to me had experienced before. I didn’t know who to talk to about what I was going through and it affected me for years after, and I went through deep depression and really not caring for myself. It was 3 years later I felt I had hit rock bottom and was time to make a change. I took steps to seek more grounding activities in my life, more music, friends who were artists and focusing on getting into the college had dreamed of since I was a sophomore. I ended up thriving by meeting people who loved nature as much as I did, and had the opportunity to start the Recreation Nation club for outdoors people to join and do activities together. 

I had gone through multiple relationships and moved to Buffalo for someone I felt deeply connected with through our love of drag and helping the community. Unfortunately, I was fooled by their love bombing and controlling behavior. After constant cycle of being lied to and manipulated, I knew I had to leave. I was unhappy, I was living on another side of the country ith no family and few friends, but after speaking to a co-worker, she explained to me that everything I was going through was narcissistic abuse. Everything on the checklist was marked off, the threatening their wellbeing if I left, telling people I would never be booked to perform here again, talking in circles for hours until I was exhausted beyond cognitive ability, gaslighting me when I knew the truth, blaming me for things, putting holes in the walls and threatening to end their life if I left. After I was finally able to leave, they messaged every single performer in the area and some, to say that I was the bad one in the situation, that I had left without saying anything and asking people to stalk my whereabouts. This continued for weeks until I was done having them posting on Facebook about me. It was then I took a stand and laid out to everyone what I was going through. I had a flood of support and apologies for people who didn’t know my story and had only been fed what they were telling people. I got multiple messages from people from their past telling me they had the exact same experience with them and sending support because they had been in my position before. The threats, the lies and the abuse of power. Because people were receiving these messages, asking them to stalk me and report back, people believed me instantly. They stopped being friends with people who were still friends with me. They were called out when trying to flip the script on me and told that they were continuing to be abusive by posting these things and then took a step back from attempting to tarnish my reputation. To this day, I still am faced with the effects of their abuse, and try to make sure I am doing my best to keep the community safe and will speak up when I need to. 

This experience has helped me connect with other narcissistic abuse victims as well as those affected by their behavior. They were a bully many years before I was here and me speaking up gave the other people affected by them an opportunity to speak out and be heard, Many of us have taken years to try and process it all and work through the damage that was done, but something like this only makes me louder, stronger and a bigger advocate for what I believe in. 

My professional background was many years of being a Humane Education through the SPCA in multiple states. This position had me teaching kindness, compassion and animal rights to children from the age 6 and up. I had spent many years going to speak to thousands of kids about animal advocacy and my biggest mission, to get people to be less scared of pet rats and understand the complex, nurturing side to this beautiful animal. I worked with people with disabilities to teach them about animal care and help coordinate them meeting animals they wouldn’t normally get an opportunity to interact with. I got the chance to speak at multiple conferences and the last one being on Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. 

I had finished my time doing education and moved onto supporting the adults through the Workforce Development initiative. Giving them soft skills training, hands-on work experience and coaching them through any barriers they were going through. I have enjoyed my time supporting this population as I am able to celebrate their wins as my own as well. 

With this title I hope to provide a space to do education on pageantry and how empowering it can be, create more space for people to come together with a shared history that can work together to move past the traumatic past, and help to grow the organization.”

Raquel Calhoun

“I am Raquel “Kelzkilher” Calhoun, a resilient 35-year-old mother of five, proud to hail from the vibrant streets of Eastside Buffalo, New York. As a plus-size beauty and a biracial woman, my journey has been marked by triumph over adversity, which has fueled my passion for advocacy in mental health, domestic violence awareness, and body positivity. Having survived domestic violence myself and being the child of a mother who faced similar struggles, I have harnessed my past experiences to empower others to find their own voice and strength.

Growing up in a marginalized community plagued by poverty, I was thrust into responsibilities far beyond my years. From a young age, I took care of my younger siblings and managed a household overwhelmed by challenges. This harsh upbringing fostered resilience amidst struggle but also imbued me with a profound sense of burden. Suddenly, in the height of my adolescence, I was uprooted from my urban environment and placed into a rural community, I found myself isolated among unfamiliar faces, as one of the few Black kids in a predominantly white school. This transition was jarring, and I faced bullying from peers who perceived me as different, compounding my already fragile sense of self. The duality of my experiences left me grappling with my identity, fostering deep insecurities that haunted my confidence. My fight for acceptance and belonging became a painful journey, marked by longing for understanding and connection that often felt just out of reach.

As a result of all this trauma, I found myself constantly searching for validation, yearning for affection and acceptance that had been scarce in my life. This deep-seated need drew me into a relationship that I wasn’t truly ready for, where the allure of love masked the underlying issues we both carried. Instead of healing, the relationship became a breeding ground for more trauma and abuse; I repeated patterns of dependency and insecurity, allowing my past experiences to blur my judgment. The emotional weight I carried only deepened, as I grappled with the painful realization that I was trying to fill the void within myself with an unhealthy connection, further complicating my journey toward self-discovery and healing. For six years, I stayed and endured physical and mental abuse that left deep scars on my spirit. After fleeing this toxic environment, I found myself at 20 years old homeless with my first child. This harrowing experience taught me invaluable lessons about resilience and the importance of rebuilding oneself after hitting what some would consider “rock bottom”. I emerged stronger and more determined than ever to break the cycle of abuse and create a better life for myself and my child. 

Life brought me hope, wrapped in a beautiful vessel. Now was my chance to see what a healthy loving relationship looked like. It was everything I needed and more. Sadly, my greatest love was not meant to last forever, and I faced the unbearable reality of witnessing the love of my life pass away right before my eyes. This heart-wrenching experience shattered my world, leaving me to grapple with immense grief and a profound sense of loss. Watching him slip away was a painful reminder of the fragility of life and love, an indelible mark on my heart that will forever impact my journey. I faced the heartbreaking loss of my husband after a beautiful and loving 13-year relationship that profoundly shaped my life. He was not just my partner; he was my confidant, my rock, and my greatest supporter. Together, we built a family and created countless cherished memories, especially with our daughters, who were the light of his life. Through his love and guidance, he taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, compassion, and the importance of embracing my true self. His unwavering belief in me pushed me to grow and evolve into the woman I need to be for the next chapter of my life. Though the pain of his absence is immeasurable, I carry his spirit with me, guiding me as I navigate this new journey, determined to honor his memory by embodying the strength and love he instilled in me.

A meaningful part in my advocacy work is promoting positivity and connecting women with local resources to help them transition during challenging times. I actively share information about programs, counseling, and the importance of surrounding oneself with positive and supportive people who genuinely want to help. My own journey fuels my commitment to uplift others and ensure they know they are not alone.

Throughout my life, I have faced battles with mental illness, including a family history of bipolar disorder, manic depression, and schizophrenia. Despite these hurdles, I have become an inspiring beacon of hope for many, vigorously advocating for mental health awareness and support.

My personal experiences have significantly influenced my entrepreneurial adventures.  I’ve always been passionate about crafts and DIY projects, then I discovered a delicious medium to express my artistic abilities through the creation of beautiful, tasty treats. In 2020, I founded Calhoun Custom Creations, a bakery and event boutique that showcases my creativity and ingenuity. I hope to build something meaningful that can truly act as a staple for creatives in our community and can be passed on as a generational legacy for my family. This endeavor led me to discover an amazing community that fuels innovation and once again affirming the need for camaraderie. By tapping into the local Buffalo entrepreneurial ecosystem, I have aligned myself with like-minded individuals who inspire and support one another on our journeys.

In addition to my bakery, I am cultivating my talents and love for music as an R&B vocalist and MC. Music has always been a positive influence in my life from a very young age. I found solace in it during many of my darkest times. Through my powerful lyrics, I explore the duality of life, touching on both the dark and light sides of the human experience. I bravely address real-life topics that many might shy away from, alongside meaningful spiritual themes that aim to uplift and connect listeners. My music resonates deeply, reminding us all that we share similar struggles and triumphs, fostering a sense of community and understanding.

Now, as I embrace this chapter of my life, I am using the Miss Alternative platform as a powerful way to continue sharing my story, spreading positivity, and nurturing a community. This platform allows me to connect with others who have faced similar struggles, providing a space for healing and empowerment. Through my experiences, I embody strength, creativity, and a commitment to advocacy, proving that it’s never too late to rise above and inspire change in the world. Join me on this incredible journey of healing, empowerment, and transformation.”