Miss Continental is an annual drag queen pageantry system founded in 1980 by Jim Flint. The pageant itself takes place at the Baton Show Lounge in Chicago, Illinois, and is usually held over Labor Day weekends.^[1]

Jim Flint organized the first Miss Continental Pageant in 1980.^[2] He started the competition as an inclusive pageant for all female impersonators, including those who have taken hormones or had surgical enhancements.^[3][1]

The first competition had 14 contestants.^[4] Ten years later in 1990, there were 44 contestants and 25 preliminaries in the United States.^[4]

Also known as the Continental Pageantry System, the pageant features different competitions.

• Miss Continental Plus debuted in 1991, a pageant for competitors weighing 225 lb (102 kg) or more.
• Miss Continental Elite was created in 2004 for entertainers who are over the age of 40.
• Mr. Continental was formed in 2003 for male entertainers.^[1][5]
• Mr. and Miss Continental Newcomer was added in 2023.^[6]

Formerly, both Miss Continental Plus and Miss Continental Elite had been held each year over the Easter weekend, in Chicago; now all are held during the Labor Day weekend.

Contestants show five looks and a talent.^[7] More than 40 preliminary competitions occur around the world, with finalists arriving in Chicago for the event.^[7]

Sources^[8][9][10]

Legend:
† indicates that the contestant is deceased.

The Queens, a documentary directed by Mark Saxenmeyer, premiered in 2020 and focused on the 2011 competition.^[14][15][2]

• Miss International Queen
• Miss Trans Star Internacional