What 17 years of Queer Commitment Really Looks Like
Jess and Clio met doing drag, fell fast, and never looked back. Their wedding – thanks to a competition they won with a video voiced by their daughter – was one for the books. But this isn’t just about the day. It’s about what’s come since: a growing queer family, big grief, even bigger love, and a whole lot of adventure.
How did you two meet, and when did the love story begin?
Jess and Clio’s love story kicked off in the most gloriously queer way – on stage, in drag. Both were performing as Drag Kings when they crossed paths in Melbourne. Jess had just returned to Australia after touring drag shows internationally, and Clio was a local act.
Despite living 4,000 kilometers apart, sparks flew fast and hard. “We fell head over lesbian heels instantly,” Jess says. That was 17 years ago.
What led to your wedding day – and how did a dream competition change everything?
Ten years into their relationship, Jess and Clio welcomed their daughter, Adia-Tuesday. They became engaged just before she was born, but with life, travel, parenting, and bills all in the mix, a wedding felt more like a future backyard BBQ than a formal celebration. That changed when they came across a competition celebrating the legalization of LGBTQ+ marriage in Australia.
The brief? Creatively answer the question “What is inclusion?”
Their entry was a 59-second animated video from the perspective of their daughter, and it won unanimously. The prize: a full wedding valued at $80,000, hosted at the breathtaking Projekt 3488. Every detail, from gluten-free Greek food to cocktails from local wineries and even two celebrants, was donated in celebration of marriage equality.
On 7 December 2019, just before the world shut down, 120 of their favorite people gathered for the most unforgettable day. Jess’s mum walked her down the aisle, beaming with pride. Their daughter strutted ahead in a gold tuxedo, handmade by her grandma. “Mum ran wedding boutiques my whole life,” Jess shares, “and she told me this was her favorite wedding ever.”
What’s happened in the years since, and how has your love kept evolving?
After their wedding and honeymoon, life quickly threw its curveballs. They returned to find their wedding photo on the front page of The Age as they were among those caught in the 2019-2020 bushfires. Then came COVID. Like many, they found creative ways to stay sane during lockdown; wine tastings, food deliveries, and backyard hangouts with Adia’s bestie over the fence.
They eventually made a move to Cairns, buying a house sight unseen, where Clio could work remotely and Jess started as a commercial radio announcer. Their daughter thrived, and conversations about growing their family started to feel possible again.
When Jess’s mum was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, priorities shifted. Between caring for her and long chats about not waiting for the “perfect” time, Jess and Clio decided to try one round of IVF.
It worked.
Jess found out she was pregnant while in Perth with her mum. Though her mum couldn’t physically be part of the pregnancy, she flew in the day before Ziggy-Jae was born. He became her last grandchild, and her first giggle was for Nan.
How have grief, joy, and parenthood shaped the next chapter of your story?
Jess describes those early weeks with Ziggy-Jae as both beautiful and heartbreaking. Her mum passed away when he was just 10 weeks old. “I was shattered… but my goodness, how wonderful it was to have a new baby to cuddle and kiss.”
Despite the heartbreak, their little family stayed strong. In 2024, honoring a promise to Jess’s mum and taking full advantage of Clio’s generous parental leave, they traveled through Asia and Europe, celebrating Ziggy’s first birthday in Slovenia (inside a bridge, no less).
Now, they split their time between Cairns and Melbourne, surrounded by community and chaos in equal measure. Adia-Tuesday is a loving big sister to her “happy hurricane” of a brother, and Jess and Clio – 17 years on – are still choosing each other daily.
Photography by Rick Liston
