The 2024 Story of Victoria's Pride

• 22 applications
• 50% return applicants
• 13 projects funded

This map shows where individual projects were established, as well as the regions visited by the Queer-ways and Pridefinder programs.

Queer-ways was initiated by Georgia Keats and Luciano during the COVID lockdowns of 2019 as a way for queer people to connect back to sites of significance, and facilitate a way for people to still feel a sense of community and connection to other queer people while isolated. The tradition has expanded state-wide and consists of a series of multi-modal public artworks and self-led walking tours.

Pridefinder started out as a commissioned podcast project named The Rainbow Road Trip, which toured to regional communities within Victoria to collect stories about the LGBTQIA+ experience, resulting in The Pridefinder Podcast series.

Two amazing books were produced:

• Out-Side: Queer Words and Art from Regional Victoria
  An anthology produced by Q-Lit showcasing the voices of 22 regional LGBTQIA+ Victorian writers and the works of 11 artists.
• The Big Book of Queer Bendigo
  This book documents the queer history of the region, from the story of Australia’s first internationally famous trans man to those of individuals currently living and working in Bendigo.

• fourteen-and-nine-months
  A short film set in Bendigo telling the coming of age story of Freya, whose life takes an unexpected turn when she helps a lesbian couple find a turkey baster.
• LaNCE TV Panel Discussion
  A live panel discussion exploring the lives and intersections of LGBTQIA+ regional Victorians living with a disability.

Queer-ways: Retrace Regional Queer Footprints
Luciano and George hosted workshops in Shepparton, Geelong, and Ballarat and created AR maps documenting significant locations for the queer community and individuals.

• Retracing SHEPPARTON's Queer Footprints
• Retracing BALLARAT's Queer Footprints
• Retracing GEELONG's Queer Footprints

A regional art prize hosted at The Old Auction House in Kyneton featuring the work of Central Victorians. See mraai.org.au.

An exhibition of six displays, each representing a period in queer history, including an informative banner and décor from the era. See Shepparton Festival.

• Bass Coast Youth Pride Prom
  A free celebration event for LGBTQIA+ young people and their allies, aged 12 - 25.
• Gippsland Pride Festival
  Five all-ages pool parties hosted across the Gippsland region with community stalls, free clothing swap and free bus travel to each event.

• Sounds Gay, I’m In Picnic
  A day celebrating intersectional pride at Sunbury Aboriginal Corporation featuring entertainment, activities, and resources.
• Pride Fair Day
  A family-friendly festival in Wangaratta with stalls from local businesses and community groups and a line-up of local musicians and performers.

• Transcending the Narrative
  A podcast hosted by a clinical social worker which invites guests to take the stories they’re told about their identity, re-write them, and transcend them using principles of narrative therapy.
• Expression Australia Interview Series
  Interviews with LGBTQIA+ Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals from regional Victoria, discussing their experiences in these communities.

• Pridefinder
  Helene collected stories from 35 individuals on her tour of 10 regional towns and Victoria’s Pride.
• Switchboard
  We provided financial support to the “Older Person’s Pride Bus & Lunch” for the Pride March.

• 15 organisations
• 27 individual events
• 35,000 participants
• 8 projects at the Victoria's Pride Street Party