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Annie Hsh 👾🖖☕
@fringemagnet@sunny.garden  ·  activity timestamp last month

Today marks 30 years since the premiere of 'Xena: Warrior Princess' back in 1995. A show that was never ashamed of its campiness, but at the same time managed to be groundbreaking on multiple levels. Setting new standards for female action heroines, featuring a main character that was messy and flawed, physically strong and athletic, who started as a villain seeking redemption.

Xena, despite its cheesiness and often ridiculous premise, succeeded in pushing the boundaries of queer representation, challenged stereotypes, defied several of the sexist tropes of '90s media, explored LGBTQIA+ themes, even themes of gender identity, and made a clear statement against the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS at the time.

It may not be a flawless masterpiece, but it's a beloved cult classic for good reason.

🔗 https://www.fringemagnet.net/2025/09/30-years-of-xena-warrior-princess.html

#XenaWarriorPrincess#OTD #OnThisDay#Xena #90s#TV#Television#Entertainment#PopCulture#LGBTQ#LGBTQIA

A compilation of images featuring several scenes and characters from the show including Ares, Callisto, Joxer, and Autolycus, with Xena and Gabrielle in the forefront and the Xena logo between the two images.
A compilation of images featuring several scenes and characters from the show including Ares, Callisto, Joxer, and Autolycus, with Xena and Gabrielle in the forefront and the Xena logo between the two images.
A compilation of images featuring several scenes and characters from the show including Ares, Callisto, Joxer, and Autolycus, with Xena and Gabrielle in the forefront and the Xena logo between the two images.
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Annie Hsh 👾🖖☕
@fringemagnet@sunny.garden replied  ·  activity timestamp last month

In regards to Xena making a statement against the stigma surrounding HIV: in the episode 'Here She Comes... Miss Amphipolis', Xena enters a beauty pageant undercover. There, she encounters Miss Artiphys, a character played by the late Karen Dior, an HIV-positive actor, singer, former adult performer, and drag queen (reports on Dior’s gender identity are contradictory, and probably also affected by '90s culture).

When Xena discovers that Miss Artiphys was an AMAB character who entered the competition presenting as a woman, the latter explains her actions with the line: "You really don’t get it, do you? I guess being born a woman you wouldn’t. This is a chance to use a part of me most people usually laugh at, or worse. A part I usually have to hide. Only here that part works for me, you see?" expecting Xena to force her to drop.

Instead, Xena encourages her to stay in the competition, never reveals her secret, never disrespects her, and in the end, she ends up being crowned winner. After her victory, Xena and Artiphys share a kiss. That was an intentional statement against the widespread misinformation surrounding AIDS and the transmission of HIV that reportedly Lucy Lawless insisted on being included.

It is near impossible to fully explain how ridiculously groundbreaking it was that this entire plot happened in the mid '90s.

#Xena#XenaWarriorPrincess#LGBTQIA#LGBTQ#TransRights#HIV #trans#Gender#TV

A compilation of images showing Karen Dior as her character Miss Artiphys in Xena, specifically from the scene where she wins the competition, her dressed in Xena's armour while Lucy Lawless is dressed as her undercover persona, Dior without her wig as she was discovered by Xena, and the kiss they share in the end.
A compilation of images showing Karen Dior as her character Miss Artiphys in Xena, specifically from the scene where she wins the competition, her dressed in Xena's armour while Lucy Lawless is dressed as her undercover persona, Dior without her wig as she was discovered by Xena, and the kiss they share in the end.
A compilation of images showing Karen Dior as her character Miss Artiphys in Xena, specifically from the scene where she wins the competition, her dressed in Xena's armour while Lucy Lawless is dressed as her undercover persona, Dior without her wig as she was discovered by Xena, and the kiss they share in the end.
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Neville Park
@nev@status.nevillepark.ca replied  ·  activity timestamp last month
@fringemagnet utterly formative
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