Competition 2026 Dallas TX

I Need to Talk About What Happened!

I almost didn’t write this. I’m someone who already struggles to feel seen in social situations. Navigating rooms full of people doesn’t come naturally to me, and industry events are no exception. But I was there. I showed up. I tried.

We were taking group photos before the awards show. Someone called for a funny one, so I crossed my eyes and made a stupid face. It was the kind of silly, unguarded thing you do when you’re finally feeling comfortable. And then, loudly, in a hotel bar lobby full of people, a judge picked up her camera and said “I said funny, not f***** r*******.”

Some people laughed. I’m not going to hold that against anyone. Nervous laughter is real, I’ve done it myself. But then I heard someone nearby say quietly, “our son was diagnosed with autism this past summer.” And then the judge said it again. Same line. Second time.

I am on the AuDHD spectrum. I already feel like an outsider in these spaces. I already work harder than most people realize just to be present and engaged. To have a moment where I was finally being playful, then used as the punchline for that awful joke *twice* was something I haven’t been able to shake.

I didn’t place that night. But even if I had, it wouldn’t have changed how I felt. It couldn’t have.

There’s also a smaller thing that isn’t really small: for the second time, I didn’t receive my Player’s Star on the floor as a past winner and player. It’s a small gesture. But those small gestures are how people feel included or invisible, and I felt invisible. Again.

I work as a paramedical tattoo artist. My clients are some of the most vulnerable people. They are survivors, people rebuilding their sense of self after illness or trauma or loss. I take that responsibility seriously. I have to be a safe space. That is non-negotiable in my work.

What I witnessed was the opposite of that. And coming from someone with influence in this industry, it matters.

I lost a lot of respect that night for that judge, the brand they represent and for the competition as a whole. I didn’t feel seen or heard before this happened. I feel even less so now.

I’m sharing this because it deserves to be said. Do not waste your time in spaces or settings that make you feel invisible. I don't even have a single photo from this awards show and I wish I could forget that it ever happened.