The first episode of Ellen Page’s new Viceland series “Gaycation,” airing March 2, explores LGBT issues in Japan. Page travels with her gay best friend, Ian Daniel, whom she met studying permaculture design in an eco-village in Oregon. The pair goes on a fabulous bar crawl in the gay district of Tokyo, meet women who enjoy naughty manga comics, attend a symbolic same-sex wedding ceremony and are present as a gay man comes out to his mother.
In future episodes, Page and Daniel thoughtfully investigate what it means to be LGBT in Brazil and Jamaica, as well as in the United States.
PGN spoke with the intrepid travelers about “Gaycation” and their adventures.
PGN: How/why did you conceive of this show?
EP: I love travel shows and always have. I’ve always learned so much and they can relay important and fun information. I have been privileged to travel with my job. I wanted to make a show that was specifically focused on the LGBT community in that country. But also, what does it mean as an LGBT person travelling around the world?
ID: I tagged along. I thought it was a great platform for being edgy, interesting, fun and vibrant. Ellen presented me the idea of co-hosting and I was sold. I’m a gay guy who has not actively participated in LGBT culture on this level, so it was a way for me to push myself and get out of my bubble. It had potential to shape things and change people and, coming from my childhood in Indiana, this was a great opportunity to reach people across the country and the world.
PGN: In the Japanese bar crawl, you visit a gay bar, a (women-only) lesbian bar and a bar for cross-dressers, where Ian models a sexy outfit. How did you determine where you went and what you featured in each episode?
EP: We did research on a lot of countries to figure out where we wanted to go. We worked with local producers, who were extraordinary. They had incredible access. The people we spoke to have been courageous and brave humans. It’s a humbling, inspiring experience. When the young man [in Japan] decided to come out to his mother and wanted us to be there — that happened on the ground. That becomes a conversation: Do you really want us there? In Brazil, Carnival is part of the episode, and we show what that celebration represents — sexual freedom and a lot of trans dancers. It’s an incredible thing to see that and then what the reality is for LGBT people in Brazil.
ID: Some places aren’t accessible. We’re not coming in under the radar, or pretending to be straight. In our conversations, we look to get what we want out of each episode. Brazil looks like it is ahead of the curve on LGBT rights, but there is a lot of violence. Is the culture and subculture interesting to dig into? Are people living or surviving? Jamaica is harder to get people on camera if they are LGBT. We want to share those stories.
PGN: What did you discover, or want to uncover, as you explored international queer subcultures?
EP: You never want to feel like you are infringing on someone’s experience. In Jamaica, we didn’t want to show someone who didn’t want their face on camera. In Brazil, we spoke to a man who is a retired cop who is proud he killed a lot of LGBT people. In the American episode, I wanted to focus on First Nations’ people and go to a two-spirit gathering, as well as retirement homes for LGBT seniors to have the perspective of people who experienced the history firsthand. That ignites the process: Is that going to be possible?
PGN: Did any of your experiences surprise or delight you?
EP: We didn’t plan to go into the Cholesterol bar in Tokyo, where the man with the throat made a sex toy. He had the [toys] on the bar, and he invited us in. We did not plan it!
ID: I’m game to try things and immerse myself, and maybe with a too-naïve attitude. I’m so curious about this — how do I participate in a way that’s not offensive? We agree that to be there for Jamaica’s first public Pride ceremony, which was tangibly exciting, historic and electric, was an emotional moment.
PGN: You address issues of shame in Japanese society, as well as efforts of education and acceptance. Travelling to different cultures certainly makes you appreciate of what you have. It also sparks your interest about how other LGBT people live. How do you respond to and process your “Gaycation” experiences?
EP: The biggest takeaway is how much I have learned and how fortunate I’ve been to meet activists and people who have survived and are vulnerable sharing their story and wanting their voices to be heard. We’ve had some really intense moments — parents losing a trans daughter or gay son to violence. That’s emotional and heartbreaking to sit with a mother who lost her child, or with homeless youth in Kingston, Jamaica. It’s devastating to see what they face every day. Ian and I offered each other support. I think the sad thing is seeing the reality of people whose lives are far more vulnerable than your own. You can leave and go back to your life where you live freely as a gay person.
ID: For me, the point of the show is that we’re connecting — and trying to connect to — people whose stories you rarely hear. Our personal interactions can help dispel bigoted stereotypes, and that exposure helps people. It’s hard to see a way out for people who are marginalized. It’s hard to change the country from within. We witness that. It’s not about us. We’re not journalists. We come in with our own feelings. How do we personally help, and is that possible? What more can you get out of it than being humbled?
PGN: What are some of your travel secrets?
EP: I don’t know that I have travel tips. I throw stuff in a bag. I try to pack light. Bring your best friend. I think it’s so crucial — and I’m fortunate to have traveled since I was so young. Travel has offered me so much to expand my mind and heart. I went backpacking around Eastern Europe when I was 20. It changed my life. And making “Gaycation” has as well. I am immersed to a degree. Be open: It’s such an opportunity to learn and grow and change so much.
ID: Learn about the place before you enter it. Brush up on customs, culture and do not go on your assumptions. If you’re LGBT, it’s important to understand the way the countries stand on those issues. If I look at myself as a traveler, I had to remind myself to be open-minded about the way people are living there and how they navigate through the world.
“Gaycation” debuts March 2 on Viceland.