Sydney WorldPride is officially here my friends, and to celebrate, we thought we’d take a little trip down memory lane. Seven queer folks have filed through their mental archives to pull out the pop culture icon that first sparked their sexual awakening.
Scroll through the list and I guarantee you’re going to come across at least one heartthrob (probs more) from your own puberty.
Enjoy…
“‘Icon’ might be a strong word but the gardener in Desperate Housewives (Jesse Metcalfe) definitely hit some sort of nerve/body part that I hadn’t experienced before. In hindsight, the denial was still in overdrive so I wish I could’ve embraced it more and enjoyed the ride. 20/20 vision is so bittersweet, ey?” – Louis
“Xena Warrior Princess. I used to play ‘Xena’ in the backyard and pine for Gabrielle. And yet, I didn’t realise I was a big lesbian until 23 lol. Also Charlotte Pickles and Effy in Skins.” – Jenna
“Mine was Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. I have never actually seen a single Star Wars, but my brother had a book with images from the movie and there was a photo of a scene of Anakin shirtless in bed. He’d woken up from a nightmare or something I don’t know but he was hot and sweaty and that aroused little gay Ky as a six-year-old enough to steal the book and kiss the photo at night.” – Ky
“Haley Graham from the 2006 classic film, Stick It. Looking back now it makes me a little sad to be honest. Heteronormativity is so ingrained that a lot of bisexual women think, “I must want to be their friend” or “I want to be LIKE them” but the truth is, you’re attracted to them. Anyway, Stick It is an incredible movie (don’t let the Rotten Tomatoes rating tell you otherwise) and like many great teen films, it has a killer work out montage and a Missy Elliot soundtrack.” – Jasmine
“If I were to blame one thing in this universe for turning me gay, it would be the video for Leavin’ by Jesse McCartney. Coming in second would be the men’s underwear section at Kmart, which is for some reason inexplicably horny. – Michael (who has written an ode to the power of Jesse’s iconic music video, here).
“The lifeguard from Lilo & Stitch and Lady Marian from Disney Robin Hood.” – Mia
“Gaston (The Beauty and The Beast), King Triton (The Little Mermaid) and Wreck-It Ralph. Yes, I have a type.” – Lachy
See, something for everyone! Really takes you back to the early 2000s, hey?
Anyway, you can keep the wholesome WorldPride vibes rolling with the BWYASSS House of Pride. The immersive event has been curated to cater for different vibes and tempos so everyone feels comfortable.
Wanna party? There’ll be a DJ set by Confidence Man and tipples from Little Creatures, Absolut Vodka and Squealing Pig. Wanna have a more peaceful moment? There’ll be a quieter room where you can recall your sexual awakenings with friends. Nice, eh?
For a chance to win a free double pass, all you need to do is tell BWS what part of your queer identity you’re most proud of.
