Adventures of Gia

“Being a man one day and a woman the next isn't an easy thing to do.”  -Bernadette from Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

For some reason, that I can’t recall right now, I wanted desperately to watch Priscilla again.  I fondly remember loving this campy 90’s Aussie film about queens on a journey into the Australian Outback, how fun.   Now, nearly 20 years later and living my own life openly as trans women (not a drag queen, I’m not that fabulous), a little more like Bernadette (one of the main characters), I guess I wanted to see if the film held up, especially from my new perspective.  Anyway, this movie is very difficult to find online, truly it is.  Netflix was no help, nor was Amazon, but there’s always the inter-web.  But even in that magical world, it was a challenge to find.  I did come across a few versions, several in Russian, French, and Japanese, who knew it was so popular, and eventually I found one in English. While the image was the size of a cell phone screen, I enjoyed every minute, especially Guy Pierce, yummy. 

For me, seeing this movie again, anew if you like, was reinvigorating.  And, while there’s some dated language and a reliance on stereotypes, the message rings true today.  LGBT people are people, and our identity is our own.  Interestingly, when this film came out 15+ years ago, I recall my aunt and uncle mentioning how much they loved this film. To me that was so wonderful.  Without speaking openly about my gender and sexuality, I’ve always felt close to them (she’s my Godmother by the way).  They must have known something, or at least were comfortable expressing their appreciation of the LGBT culture to me.  So for me it was no surprise, and a great relief, that they stepped forward this year to openly support me as I started to transition.  You can never be grateful enough when you have allies that love you for who you are and aren’t afraid to show it.  Watching Priscilla this week was a welcome reminder of how fortunate I am to have love and support as I embark upon my own adventure. 

xoxo -Gia