, ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁legend ary ▁Y um bo ▁Cent rum . ▁ ▁Begin nings ▁Before ▁there ▁was ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁World , ▁there ▁was ▁something ▁called ▁International ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁International . ▁Brian ▁M err iman ▁( owner ▁of ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁Ireland ) ▁and ▁T ore ▁A as heim ▁( co - owner ▁of ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁Europe ) ▁attended ▁the ▁competition ▁with ▁the ▁European ▁deleg ation , ▁and ▁were ▁hor r ified ▁over ▁how ▁the ▁competition ▁was ▁run . ▁Having ▁seen ▁how ▁not ▁to ▁do ▁a ▁contest ▁on ▁that ▁scale , ▁M err iman ▁and ▁A as heim ▁went ▁home ▁to ▁Europe ▁with ▁ideas ▁to ▁create ▁their ▁own ▁international ▁competition . ▁ ▁Brian ▁M err iman ▁invited ▁T ore ▁A as heim , ▁Mort en ▁R uda ▁( owner ▁of ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁Norway ▁and ▁co - owner ▁of ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁Europe ) ▁and ▁Dean ▁Nelson ▁( owner ▁of ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁Canada ) ▁to ▁Dublin , ▁Ireland ▁to ▁plan ▁a ▁brand ▁new ▁international ▁competition . ▁Real izing ▁this ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁huge ▁task ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁do ▁this ▁on ▁their ▁own , ▁they ▁invited ▁Eric ▁But ter ▁( who ▁is ▁the ▁current ▁owner ▁of ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁World ) ▁and ▁No emi ▁Alberto ▁( owner ▁of ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁Philippines ) ▁to ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁Mr ▁Gay ▁World . ▁ ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁time ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁company ▁that ▁would ▁run ▁the ▁competition , ▁M err iman ▁and ▁R uda ▁bow ed ▁out ▁due ▁to ▁other ▁commit ments ,