Queerious youth: An empirical study of a queer youth cultural festival and its participants

Abstract

Various institutional legacies and contemporary social circumstances often work to constrain the voices and cultural expressions of gender and sexually diverse young people. However, gender and sexually diverse youth can also respond critically and creatively, generating their own sites of cultural participation and meaning. Through an empirical case study of Queeriosity – a queer youth cultural festival held in Brisbane, Australia – this article details the impetus behind the creation of this youth-led event. Second, drawing on participant observations and survey data collected at the festival, this article provides a ‘snapshot’ of the various identities, attitudes and cultural styles that circulate within Brisbane’s queer youth communities. Finally, it argues that the spectacle, celebration and diverse articulations of youth sexualities which underpinned Queeriosity provided participants with opportunities for sexual self-making.