A Heartfelt Thanks to my readers for once again indulging my foray into Carangi-land. Although she was born 52 years ago and died 26 years ago, I have yet to see a model reach the pinnacle of fame as quickly as Gia. Her fame was even too fast for her to handle.I will not host photos of Gia in her tragic decline. That is not the woman I want to remember.
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Gia shot to the zenith of fame faster than Iron Man leaves the earth, it was amazing. One day her image was EVERYWHERE, then (because of drugs) Gia was Gone.
Gia was such a beautiful child:
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Even today in 2012 no matter how much the industry Hypes the new talent, no matter how many television shows are produced pitting models against one another, they can’t seem to find another Gia Carangi. Sure Freja Beha Erichson is a hip/Dyke model but she is not as beautiful as Gia was, Cindy Crawford was touted as “baby” Gia, but Gia was a lesbian through and through and so am I which is why Gia is my Marilyn Monroe.
Gia's Lesbianism
Gia was a LESBIAN and You could see it, or your Gay-Dar could pick it up even from a magazine spread. Gia was not Bisexual, although once addicted to Heroin she was raped by a drug dealer, or slept with men to score the opiate.
Nonetheless, that didn't make Gia bisexual. Gia did what she had to do to maintain her addiction .
I saw Gia's Lesbianism the very first time I saw Gia, she was 17 and had just started modeling for the Wilhemina Agency. It was “Whoa” You know, "Whoa" there was no mistaking that she was Gay, her gaze challenging you as if locked in combat for your soul.
In the late 1970’s the Sexual Revolution was dovetailing into the era of Cocaine and Heroin and the gay movement was more politicized. Imagine Gia, being this gorgeous young woman, expected to act a certain way but feeling different. I don’t believe she was a part of the LGBT movement, she had no time to find support from the LGBT population.
The Prete A Porter or “Ready To Wear” Vogue issue was the magazine cover that
![image_thumb[4]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-a3-KwhWwnyk/T4O1sgus0gI/AAAAAAAAGw8/-L0bM8Ryk4g/s1600-h/image_thumb%25255B4%25255D%25255B7%25255D.png "image_thumb[4]")
did it for me. I could tell that Gia was different. Not like lesbian model Eve Salvail, who has a shaven head with a dragon tattoo on it. Gia didn’t need to do that to send her message.
So what’s with my fawning over the woman’s beauty but disparaging her for having an addiction? I know addicts, I know how they behave.
I know about the 5 year old child left at kindergarten, forced to walk home alone because her alcoholic parents lost track of time.
I know the little boy who was told by his father that he started drinking because his child cried too much as a baby.
I KNOW Addiction:
I know addicts, how they will tell you that they are just “Skin Popping” [Putting the needle just under the skin’s surface] as if that means it’s any less addictive and won’t lead to “Mainlining” the needle directly into the vein.
I’ve known addicts thrown into a tub full of cold water or shower because they overdosed…I know addicts who will rob you no matter how close you thought the two of you were and after all of that it only leads to premature death.
Yes I could have romanticized Gia when I was younger if I wasn’t experiencing the real Gia phenomenon, I probably would’ve made videos of her featuring music from whatever television show was famous at the time.
Despite harboring great empathy Gia Carangi, I refuse to romanticize what Gia went through, lest the reader be misdirected. Yes she was a sensitive and troubled soul, then again most addicts are.
Gia needed love, but once someone is an addict, love alone isn’t enough to save them.
Moving On...