Carl Kinsella | Senior Staff Writer
Trinity student Robbie Obara was crowned Mr Gay Europe in Prague earlier this week.
Robbie, in his fifth year of studying Medicine at Trinity College, won the title of Mr Gay Ireland in November of last year, having qualified by winning the Mr George heat in September. He is the first winner of the male beauty pageant to be based in Ireland, and the eighth man to have worn the sash.
As a result of his tremendous achievement, Robbie was offered the opportunity to compete in the Mr Gay World pageant in Antwerp, Belgium, but respectfully declined on account of academic commitments.
A statement from the Mr Gay Europe website hailed Robbie’s ability to “flirt with the audience from the stage” and credited his “winning personality” as a the crucial aspect of the charm that saw him finish just ahead of Great Britain’s Leroy Williamson and Sweden’s Fritiof Ingelhammar in the judges’ estimations.
Robbie has detailed his own perspective on the Mr Gay Europe pageant, characterizing it as “a bit frivolous or superficial, maybe”, but also extolling the values of the attention it garners from the gay community, and how positive attention can be used to generate further awareness of LGBTQ issues.
The 26-year-old has spoken openly about the horror he feels concerning the level of mental ill-health among gay men in Ireland. Robbie quoted recent studies as showing that “2 out of 5 gay men in Ireland have attempted suicide. That horrifies me. In a way… all my experiences have pushed me to want to work with marginalized communities.”
As well as taking home the coveted title, Obara swept the individual awards, being named “Mr Talent” by the panel of judges, and winning the award for “Best Interview”. The panel also awarded several accolades to various other contestants in categories such as “Mr Congeniality”, “Mr Photogenic” and “Best Swimwear”.
Robbie has prioritized his budding career in the field of medicine at this time, opting to travel to Canada next week to begin his hospital placement, rather than revel in his victory.
