My First Time: New series explores moving nuances of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community
In partnership with We Are Pride
By Dale Fox
“Oh my God. They see me. Something’s wrong with me.” RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under star Kween Kong still feels the sting of being reprimanded after recalling the first time she kissed another boy, with the traumatic shame haunting his gradual self-acceptance even today.
As one of the courageous voices of emotional new YouTube series My First Time, Kween Kong’s story is just one of many in the show that illustrate the universal quest for identity and acceptance so common in the life paths of queer people worldwide.
The show has just premiered on YouTube platform We Are Pride, with the free series exalting the milestones of 10 remarkable queer individuals in Australia, shining a light on the nuances of a diverse range people from across the LGBTQIA+ community. By revisiting stories of their earliest self-explorations, the show charts universally shared passages while spotlighting just how profoundly personal such “firsts” remain.
For comedian Aurelia St Clair, pop music unlocked the first inklings of identity conceived beyond society’s rigid lines – listening privately to Elton John songs away from critical parental ears helped rewrite assumed limits of who they might become, while artist Dyan Tai had a similar musical awakening. “I remember seeing like Spice Girls and Britney Spears and I was like, ‘Oh my God, that is so camp and so gay. And I really freaking love it.'”
“I am a queen and I’m definitely built like a gorilla. I embrace it” – Kween Kong
Meanwhile, Kween Kong exemplifies how negativity can be turned into something positive, explaining the origin of her drag name. “I was raised in sports and so on the rugby field I was very feminine, as I’ve always been. I think initially it was an insult. People would call me that name because … I was queer and flamboyant. But I was really tough and so I loved it because I am a queen and I’m definitely built like a gorilla. I embrace it.”
These are just a handful of the many stories My First Time tells with disarming courage across the generations of the 10 cast members, with the show consecrating the winding road towards fearlessly being our most authentic selves without shame or secrecy. By spotlighting life-affirming “firsts,” the new series offers hope for anyone charting the emergence of their identity – as well as reassurance to those who felt alone on that road less travelled.
An emotional rollercoaster of pain and pride
In the opening episode of My First Time, available now, the multifaceted narratives of the show’s diverse cast unfold through their personal stories. The 10 individuals share their ‘initial ‘firsts’ around identity, love, and self-acceptance, painting a vivid picture of the queer experience. It’s one of those rare shows that will make you laugh, then cry, then laugh again as you reflect on your own life journey through the stories of a bunch of diverse yet relatable people.
How do I watch My First Time?
The first episode of My First Time is available now for free on the We Are Pride YouTube channel. New episodes will premiere each Saturday until 20 April. Subscribers to the channel will be notified as soon as each new episode is released. The full cast of My First Time is listed below.
Kween Kong – Drag artist
Aurelia St Clair – Comedian, writer, and content creator
Wesley Enoch – Playwright
Katherine Wolfgramme – Prominent trans elder and advocate
DQ – Lesbian and feminist activist
Dyan Tai – Queer Chinese-Australian electronic musician and performance artist
Adrian Mouhajer – Queer non-binary Lebanese-Australian writer and editor
Seren Bakir – Non-binary Turkish-Australian model and TikTok creator
Steve Spencer – Award-winning bisexual advocate, writer, and researcher
Rosie Delaney – Transgender lesbian comedian