Queens of the Desert
I do commonly agree with Aitken and Lukinbeal's argument that the potentially libratory aspects of the road for masculinities are suppressed by a return to the logic of hegemonic masculinity in the fact that in Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert the travelers are offered a sort of liberating notion and safety of their bus and of being unknown. Mitzi, Bernadette and Felicia embark on a trip that is designated to offer them something, disengaged from money or fame, individually characterized by a certain liberation they require. Bernadette's partner had just died, Mitzi had the underlying job of rejoining a life he had left behind, and Felicia was along for the thrill and the idea of fame. As two drag queens and a trans woman they realized that they would come up against certain resistance in the Outback, far away from their "safe" city.
In a way, this is documenting the libratory aspects of the road for masculinities. The three felt safe to travel, to be themselves. The first night they stop Mitzi and Felicia dress in full drag and parade around a
small town, shocking everybody. However, on that same night, Bernadette is required to confirm and negotiate her masculinity.
As a trans woman, she perpetuated a sort of disregard of her femininity when she entered the drinking competition with the "stone" butch woman from the bar. She was confirming that she is a) more masculine than the butch woman and b) more masculine than her two friends, Mitzi and Felicia. This is the logic of
hegemonic masculinity, that a certain notion of masculinity was required to "survive" the situation.
This is continually perpetuated throughout the film. For example, when they finally reach their destination of Alice Springs, Mitzi is preparing to see his son for the first time in a long time. He becomes so consumed with the fatherly figure that he will need to become that he disengages from his prominent identity: gay drag performer. He identifies who he is as a bad influence on his son, who grew up in a performance centered resort with a lesbian mother and plethora of characters around him. Until Mitzi was able to realize that what is required for a child is honesty and love, he perpetuates the logic of hegemonic masculinity. Of course, he is able to disengage from this by the end of the film, but the idea resonates nonetheless.