Rest doesn’t always look like lying down, there’s spiritual rest, creative rest, social rest and they’re all really important. I schedule time to rest and if you’re not doing it too, I highly recommend it.

When would you say that you feel the most beautiful?

Nadine: I would say I feel most beautiful when I’m with my partner and waking up in the morning. I’m not quite coherent to the world yet but filled with love because we’re holding each other and seeing each other for the first time that morning. The day hasn’t started yet and you’re just a pure being – nothing else matters at that moment. I’ve never thought about it before but that’s when I feel the most beautiful.

What does Pride mean to you?

Nadine: I have a tumultuous relationship with Pride month because it’s the time where I’m the most commodified, but it’s also the month that I make most of my money in. On the other hand, we should be celebrating Pride month – especially in the line of work I’m in. Even though it’s difficult to ignore the commercialisation of it, it’s important to recognise that this month is for us and there’s plenty of people who can’t celebrate. For a long time, I wasn’t proud and had so much shame in who I was. So, in that regard, it’s important.

Why do you think there’s such a strong relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and nightlife?

Nadine: That’s where we’re kept safe, under darkness. It’s a shame in a way because we weren’t afforded safety in the daytime which still exists today – even though a lot of work has been done to change that. A lot of the work we’re doing with Pussy Palace is trying to find ways to make people feel safe and celebrated during the day, but the night is where it all began and where our history and legacy is.

Why do you think spaces for queer people to come together are so important?

Nadine: There’s still so much stigma and discrimination all over the world in varying degrees – right now, we’re seeing this snapback to conservatism and fascism. We still need spaces to come together, to converse, to dance, to build ideas.

12 years ago at the beginning stages of Pussy Palace, there was a hopefulness and we were seeing a lot of queer people and other marginalised groups being represented but it was a trap because there were no protections put in place for us and now we’re seeing the fallout of that.

I didn’t come out properly or feel secure in who I am until I was 27 and it was because of Pussy Palace. I have seen people come through the doors and they’re a little bit shy and not sure if they’re meant to be there, but by the end of the night, they’ve found themselves. I’ve witnessed it first hand and that’s why it’s needed. Marginalised people will always need a space and it’s inherent within us to find each other.

Why is it important to you to use your platform as a member of the LGBTQ+ community?

Nadine: LGBTQ+ people have a legacy of using any platform we have – or creating one if we don’t – to speak about injustice and create more space for ourselves and people that are like us. We should never be complacent about it because there are still so many fights to be had. It’s a necessary part of being queer I believe.