Courtney Act Instagram – Look at her! Twenty years ago today. The Grand Finale of Australian Idol season 1. An unforgettable night at the Sydney Opera House forecourt. Look at that Courtney Quiff™️ Her natural hairline pulled back into what is, believe it or not, a wig!
I felt an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance from the Australian public, the judges, and Dicko – I still do. Idol really was the dawn of my journey. Auditioning as Shane and being sent home could have been the end, but it was just the beginning. I bent the rules and my gender and returned the next day in drag and made it through. Such a sliding doors moment when I decided to audition again as Courtney. I was so scared of what being publicly queer would mean for the rest of my life and career. Worried I would ruin my chances as a ‘straight male performer’ lol. How foolish I was! I was the first out queer person on any Idol franchise anywhere in the world. A world before social media, before the comments section, before the mainstream visibility (and recent politicisation) of our queer love and identity. I can’t imagine my life as anything other than the unbridled, celebratory and authentic expression of masculinity and femininity it is today. What a joy the last twenty years have been, I hope for twenty more.
Shout out to @michaeljboyd my handsome dance partner. @djkittyglitter who loaned me her @grantmargetts dress and @adrianlewisjewellery who loaned me those gorgeous diamonds dangling from my ears. #australianidol | Posted on 19/Nov/2023 06:55:34
