DIVA caught up with this “dom femme” to find out more about her time in the Masseria
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY BBC / TWO FOUR / JAMES STACK
Our summer style icon has arrived! Lindsey, aka this year’s “dom femme”, has had us completely hooked with her incredible wardrobe and masterclass flirting skills. She came into the Masseria looking to find a tall, masculine-presenting “cutie with femme energy”.
Lindsey was first paired up with Renee, where the pair shared a few steamy snogs and also revealed that they had actually spoken in the outside world. Things seemed to be going well for this pairing until Blessing arrived and shook things up in the Masseria.
We caught up with Lindsey to find out more about her time on the show.
Why did you want to go on the show?
Honestly, I loved the show! It seemed so fun, and I thought that I might actually meet the love of my life. Imagine if I met my wife!
What did you learn about yourself on the show?
I learned that I’m more independent than I give myself credit for. I also learned that in the queer scene, everyone’s gone through very similar things. We all have similar backgrounds, upbringings, and stories that we can tell and share.
You’ve been crowned a style icon. Where do you draw inspiration from?
I just love Pinterest. I look up to people like Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt and Beyoncé. They motivate me to be a boss, especially as a Black woman, and to show up as my unapologetic self. And to just be weird!
Why is representation on shows like IKAG so important?
Representation is important because it allows you to be seen in a world where, oftentimes, you’re made to feel so uniform and unimportant. Especially as a marginalised person, you need to see yourself in the world to know that you’re normal. You’re fine! You’re okay! You live a normal human life! In showing that person’s story, they reflect who you are.
What does being a “dom femme” mean to you?
A lot of times, when we think of dominance, we think masc. The queer community is still quite heteronormative in regard to the roles that gender expressions have to present. It’s important for me to show up and be like, “Yes, I’m femme. But I also like to take the reins in a relationship.”
What would a show like this have meant to you growing up?
It would have helped me realise my queerness a lot quicker. As a woman and a femme, it’s harder to find your queerness because the world is just geared towards masculinity. The world isn’t built around femininity. To be attracted to that, you have to put yourself outside of the societal structure that has been made. Having a show like this would have made me realise that there are different types of queerness. It doesn’t show up in exactly the same way. It would have helped me come to terms with my queerness a lot quicker and understand that it’s not some weird taboo thing. It’s just normal. Everyone has healthy, happy lives.
How have you dealt with the response on social media?
I’m not a huge social media girlie. I try not to go on social media as much as possible, but I do want to respond to people showing me love.
What do you hope viewers take away from your storyline?
As a Black queer femme, I hope they take away that you don’t have to be what society tells you that you are. You don’t have to identify with any labels. Just be you. Show up as you. Be kooky, be crazy, you don’t always have the right things to say, be challenged, be eccentric, neurodivergent, out there, babe! And don’t apologise for it at all. Just live and love your life.
You can watch the first six episodes of IKAG on BBC iPlayer now.
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