Scoping the Role of LGBTQI+ Festivals in Regional Australia: A Local Community Perspective

Abstract

Regional LGBTQI+ festivals and events are on the rise in Australia. They challenge the traditional perceptions of a regional destination that are often positioned and imagined as heteronormative, monoethnic, and monoindustrial. As the popularity of regional LGBTQI+ events increases, there is a need to understand the local community’s perspectives on these events. As such, by focusing on the Broken Heel Festival, hosted in Broken Hill, a regional town in Australia, this research note scopes and initiates discussion around the broader understanding of how regional LGBTQI+ events are transforming the traditional perceptions and values of and about the local community.