Ms Langford said she could not have imagined when growing up in Nambour that Mardi Gras events and drag bingo nights would exist on the Sunshine Coast in the future. "I realised I hadn't fully expressed myself in that way in front of my family." A growing community "But standing up with the drag queen on the final night and looking out at all the smiling faces made me tear up. "At times it felt overwhelming and terrifying that it would flop, because I've never seen anything like this done before," Ms Langford says.
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When the event came along, Ms Langford was worried that no-one would come. Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467."I think there's a natural reaction to want to kind of shut it down or heckle or make fun of it, which is a horrible experience for anyone." If you or anyone you know needs help: "I think you're not used to seeing maybe trans people, same-sex couples, or just people who are expressing themselves differently to what the general the norms are for certain genders, then it makes people uncomfortable," she said. Ms Langford said she felt there was more pressure in country towns for women to conform to heteronormative identities, because when people saw difference they sometimes reacted from a place of discomfort. ( Supplied: Kay Langford) Fear of the unknown Kay Langford realised she hadn't fully expressed herself in such an authentic way in front of her family before the event.