DIVA caught up with one of the stars of the new BBC Three sapphic dating series to find out more about her time on the show
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY BBC THREE
Having taken the internet by storm, BBC Three’s new dating show I Kissed A Girl has been sending mass frenzy throughout the sapphic world. Fans of the show have been spreading their love online for this groundbreaking new series, and to the bold and exciting cast that are pioneering the way for more sapphic representation on screen.
Hosted by Dannii Minogue, I Kissed A Girl has seen a whole swarm of sapphic singles enter the iconic Italian Masseria in the hopes of finding love. How does it begin? With a kiss of course!
Naee was one of the first girls to enter the Masseria, and she was initially paired up with Priya. DIVA caught up with the star to find out more about being on the show and providing representation for Black masc girls everywhere.
The show is brilliant! Why did you want to sign up?
Representation really matters. Especially for someone who looks like me. You don’t really see Black, lesbian, masculine women on TV a lot. I felt like I could help someone feel comfortable in themselves and give them the confidence to just live their lives without feeling any negativity. I really hope that the show helps them.
In the show, there’s a moment where you talk about why you like wearing more masculine clothes. When you were growing up, did you feel like you could be masc?
No. When I was growing up I didn’t feel like I could be myself. I felt like there were certain expectations on how I should be as a woman based on society’s needs. I didn’t really see anyone who looked like me. I knew I didn’t like wearing female clothes because they were too tight and I didn’t want to show cleavage! It just wasn’t for me. I realised I had to be comfortable with myself. Thank god I had that realisation that I had to be comfortable in my own skin.
When you started to dress the way you wanted to, how did that make you feel?
I felt proud but at the same time it was also new to me. I thought I was going to look a bit weird. I thought people would mistake me for a guy. Now, I’m just proud to be me. I don’t really care what people think of me.
We definitely see that confidence in the first few episodes of the show, what was it like when you were going up for that first kiss with Priya?
I was so nervous! I had never met Priya before. I had never kissed a stranger before sober. I wasn’t sure if I was going to go in for a cheek kiss or tongue. I was actually really nervous under all of that confidence!
You looked pretty cool, calm and collected the whole time! What was it like for those first 48 hours in the Masseria?
It was crazy! You just had to adjust to your new environment with cameras filming 24/7. It was a lot to take in. You do adjust eventually.
You’re part of a really powerful conversation about the word lesbian in episode two. What did you learn about yourself while being on the show?
I learnt that it’s actually okay to scream the word lesbian. I used to feel ashamed. It was always used with a negative connotation. I used to just use the word “gay” because it was broader and more open. Now I always say that I’m a lesbian.
The reaction to the show has been crazy! What is it like having people watching you on TV all of a sudden?
It’s a little bit weird I can’t lie! People have been so supportive. They’re very proud of me for going on the show and being myself. I’ve had people fangirl over me already which is wild. The TV show just came out! It’s a lot. It’s a new lifestyle you have to adjust to.
We don’t often see Black lesbians on TV at all. What do you hope people can take from watching you on the show?
I hope that people can take a story from me. I’m like an onion – there are loads of layers that get stripped down when you watch the show. I hope they understand more that masculine presenting women are women at the same time. We don’t want to be men. We just like being comfortable and being in our skin.
There’s a conversation between you, Fiorenza, and Georgia about being masc. What was it like being able to talk to other mascs?
It felt like we came together as one with this mutual understanding. We are very misunderstood as masculine women. A lot of people are very confused. They don’t have a lot of knowledge about it. They just judge from the outside. I feel like that conversation opened up doors on a subject that we need to talk about.
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