Meet the gay Midwestern prince vying to become Mister USA 2024
superhero.The gay 28-year-old is representing Minnesota in the upcoming 2024 Mister USA competition, a beauty pageant that provides “young men with the platform to showcase their talents, intelligence, and leadership skills.”It’s pretty obvious that Hedstrom is, erm, very talented.Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to get your fix of heartthrobs with a side of the hottest queer news and culture.A post shared by Riley (@rileyjoe13)A post shared by MISTER USA ™ (@themisterusa)Besides the physical attributes, Mister USA “seeks to identify and showcase well-rounded individuals who possess qualities beyond aesthetics,” reads a description on the organization’s official website.
Contestants must also exude intelligence, charisma, and be committed to making a difference in the world. And that doesn’t look to be a problem for Hedstrom who is an intelligence engineer in health industry, and routinely spreads positive messages and queer advocacy on social media alongside his fiancé, CrossFit star Alec Smith.
In 2019, Smith made headlines after coming out in a touching post.The couple got engaged in 2022 and can often be found sharing fitness tips and giving fans an up close and personal look at their beautiful bodies relationship.A post shared by Riley (@rileyjoe13)A post shared by Riley (@rileyjoe13)A post shared by Alec Smith (@alecsmith8)A post shared by Riley (@rileyjoe13)The handsome couple is once again modeling for American Eagle this fall.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Hedstrom now lives in Virginia but is proud to rep his home state in the competition.“The cultural stereotype ‘Minnesota nice’ is definitely a thing.
