Does Australia need its own Queer History Month? What is Queer History Month for?

In other parts of the world, including the US and the UK, people celebrate LGBTI+ or Queer History Months to raise the profile of LGBTI+ history and celebrate the people – both ordinary and famous – who forged the futures we are now living.

Australia’s own LGBTI+ History Month launched in Australia in October 2016. Two years later – and a year after the same-sex marriage survey campaign – the importance of remembering the past seems more urgent than ever. How does teaching queer history enhance our understanding of Australian history more broadly? And who, or what, is often missing or marginalised in histories of Australian LGBTI+ people?

In this panel discussion, we’ll discuss some ideas for marking LGBTI+ History Month in Australia. We’ll also discuss the work of Australians – including activists, archivists and academics – who have shaped our queer past and present.

This event is presented in partnership with Deakin Gender and Sexuality Studies Research Network.

Hares & Hyenas will be our bookseller at this event.