Project to map Geelong’s queer history

THE queer history of Geelong will take a step into the digital world through a project supported by the Victorian government.

Queer-ways has received a grant in the Victoria’s Pride regional activation program for 2023-24.

Started by two Melbourne-based artists, Queer-ways is mapping the queer cartography of Australia, combining the queer stories and voices of past and present into a permanent, interactive record of being queer in Australia.

The organisation has already created augmented reality maps for three Melbourne suburbs and three regional Victorian towns, and will use this grant to create queer maps of Geelong, Ballarat and Shepparton as part of its “Retracing Regional Footprints” series.

Platform Arts (based in the old Geelong Courthouse) will host a session on Dcember 2 from 10am-noon for people to chart their queer stories and sites onto a map of Geelong.

This will be used to create a permanent record of Geelong’s rainbow community and will return to Platform Arts next February for exhibition.

Minister for Equality Harriet Shing and Geelong MP Christine Couzens visited Platform Arts on Thursday last week to announce the 2023-24 regional activation program, alongside Queer-ways co-founder Luciano and Victoria’s Pride project and program manager Bec Cooen from Midsumma.

Luciano said his collaborative community arts inititiative aimed to present the stories of LGBTIQA+ people in a permanent yet accessible way.
“We look forward to meeting with these queer communities, hearing about their queer landmarks, and combining that knowledged with our historical research supported by the Australian Queer Archives.

“We’ve seen first-hand how beneficial the regional activiation program has been for regional communties – not all queer paths need to lead to Melbourne, and if you are a queer person, you can live in regional Victoria.”

The latest round of the Victoria’s Pride regional activation has supported 13 community groups, organisations and artists with grants of up to $15,000 each.

“I’m delighted to see such diversity in the activities put forward by an ever-increasing number of passionate and dedicated LGBTIQ+ community groups and organisations who are working hard towards a more inclusive Victoria,” Ms Shing said.

“Our regional and rural LGBTIQ+ communities are strong and thriving, and along with providing more opportunities for rainbow communities across the state to connect and express pride in who they are, events like these give all Victorians the chance to show support for LGBTIQA+ people.”

Ms Couzens said she was thrilled Geelong would host some of the Victoria’s Pride activities during spring and summer.

“There’s lots of history right where we’re standing now [at Platform Arts], and just across the road… this is going to be really interesting, and I can’t wait to see it.”

For more information about the Queer-ways project in Geelong or to make a submission, head to queerways.au/geelong