It is a modern city of almost 640,000 people that sells itself as a leisure capital, but for the past two years there has not been a gay bar on the Gold Coast.
For some within the local LGBTQIA+ community, there are serious concerns that the city is moving in the wrong direction.
"It pushes us back into the closet," drag queen Dixie Wrecked said.
Without a dedicated bar, a team of self-described "Queens of Paradise" have created their own event to show the city what it's missing out on.
Supplied: Scott Belzner
)Champagne in a dog bowl
On a Sunday night at the Pink Flamingo club, anyone could be pulled onstage from the crowd, leashed and presented with a dog bowl of champagne to lap at.
This is followed by a twerking competition, an elaborate display of aerial acrobatics, and some ABBA-obsessed flight attendants crashing a plane.
It's all part of a show called Flamboyance — the creation of drag queens Natasha St James, Dixie Wrecked and Justine Kace.
"The purpose of Flamboyance was basically to essentially set up a gay night, finally, for the Gold Coast," St James said.
Supplied: Scott Belzner
)They've performed Flamboyance almost a dozen times so far and the positive response to the weekly event has seen it booked out a month ahead of schedule.
According to St James, Flamboyance was born out of necessity — the Gold Coast, she said, was "still not safe, completely".
"It's a nightlife mecca," she said.
Counting the cultural cost
St James said her experience living on the Gold Coast had been mixed, with the local culture feeling "very masculine-driven".
"In Sydney no-one bats an eyelid when you're walking hand in hand with your boyfriend down the street," she said.
"However, on the Gold Coast 30 different people look at you.
ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale
)There used to be several gay bars on the Gold Coast, but the last one was closed and put up for sale in early 2019.
St James said the lack of an "actual tangible venue" had real consequences.
"We've all had to go through this journey of self-acceptance and coming out," she said.
"So not being able to have somewhere where you can just go talk about that openly and just be yourself, explore and do new things — it sucks."
ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale
)'Gap in the market'
Pink Flamingo director Anthony Rigas said he was surprised that no other venues had stepped in to fill an obvious "gap in the market".
"Whether you're gay, straight, bi, whatever — there seems to be a special atmosphere," he said.
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)Mr Rigas said the success of other LGBT-events, including St James and Wrecked's "drag queen bingo", at Miami Marketta, convinced him that Flamboyance could be a hit.
"There's nothing like this with [the] production, theatricals, LED lights and chorography," he said.
But because it's only a one-night-a-week event and Mr Rigas said he didn't consider Flamboyance to be a an alternative to a gay bar.
"Being involved in show business and also dancing and this sort industry, there's a large gay community," he said.
Supplied: Scott Belzner
)'What we need'
For its Mardi Gras special this week, Flamboyance showman Christian Nimri told the audience that it's about "pride, baby".
"Two years ago I don't think I ever thought I would be standing on this stage, proudly homo," he said.
While he hoped a gay bar would open on the Gold Coast soon, Nimri said there was "a big surge of these LGBT events" coming.
"[It'll] make it a lot easier for us to walk into any space and feel comfortable enough to be who we are," he said.
Beyond the immediate entertainment, Wrecked said Flamboyance had been "reminding people of what we don't have and what we need".
"You don't let it get to you, but it can," she said.
"There's still a little bit more of growing and understanding to do but with these places — that will come."
