EXHIBITION

‘The interesting thing about Kylie is that she represents that world of glitter and glamour and sparkle that so many gay people wrap around themselves as a form of protection against all the badness and all the bad things in the world. She is a great icon for the gay community,’ explains Steven Thomson, Glasgay!’s producer and the man, along with the good people at The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, responsible for bringing Kylie – The Exhibition to Glasgow.

Opening this fortnight and running until January, the exhibition chronicles Kylie’s career and changing image over the years and features costumes, photographs, video installation pieces, accessories and awards as well as gems like those famous lamé hot pants from the Spinning Around video and even a boiler suit belonging to her old alter ego, Charlene from Neighbours. It will also give people an insight into how a major international tour develops, from the initial concept right through to the inaugural live performance.

The gay community will not be surprised at its inclusion in the Glasgay! festival, as Kylie and gay go together like well, Madonna and gay (even more so than Madonna and Guy, perhaps). She’s the thinking queer’s perfect fag hag – beautiful, successful, sexy and camp with a little bit of the underdog thrown in for good measure.

Thomson puts the community’s fascination in simpler terms: ‘She represents hope, she represents triumph over adversity even in her own recent life story and her battle with breast cancer. Her battles are our battles and like all great icons, we go through these things together with them. The gay community has been very good to Kylie. A dance music icon, she has been there for a lot of young people when other artists weren’t. She symbolises our struggle in so many ways.’