Queens of the Desert
I slightly agree yet disagree with Aitken and Lukinbeal in their claim that the adventures in the film were somehow suppressed by the desire to fit in amongst the normality of masculinity. In the first paragraph of Aitken and Lukinbeal's article, they write "...it is Priscilla that furnishes a haven from which the three friends can safely face issues of sexual identity, home, family, and community." I believe that this is very accurate is generalizing the movie. Priscilla is their safe haven amongst a world in which they are extravagant outsiders. From the very beginning of the film, we can see how troubled Mitzie is, and how s/he is torn between being true to herself as a drag queen and the fear of what might happen once she meets her son. She worries that he might not accept her both for what she is and that she is his father. This internal struggle pulls Mitzie between her true self as a drag queen and wanting to be a positive "male" role model. Even Bernadette tries to find a sense of normality, as she feels annoyed by Felicia's overly excessive flamboyancies. Along the road, all three ladies fight with both their internal self-identities and the views of those that they may encounter, from the gentle-hearted Bob to the violently homophobic miners. Parts of them long to be accented in a masculine world.
However, I feel that, as the film progresses and the ladies start to find themselves in their own personal ways, they start to disregard the need to return to the logic of masculinity. Bernadette finds acceptance and a seemingly inncent and sweet love interest in Bob; Mitzie realizes that her son accepts her for what she is, and is actually proud and curious; and Felicia really doesn't change for anyone no matter what. They finally climb their rock in their frocks, and find a sense of liberation and defiance for people who don't see them as good enough. The final ABBA scene, in my opinion, was the perfect conclusion to the movie. They are shown as truly happy and liberated, despite what normal masculinity might dictate in the "normal" world. In this respect, I do not feel like, towards the end of the film, they were in any way repressed by masculine normailty. They simply kicked it aside with some fabulous heels and kept living their lives.