SYNOPSIS

When it comes to uncovering Australia's queer history, there's not a lot out there. What is preserved is often told through a colonial and heteronormative lens that sidelines queer, First Nations, and migrant voices. While more stories are finally being shared, many acts of resistance and resilience remain untold. Hosted by Farz Edraki and featuring a bold line-up of LGBTQ+ trailblazers, 'Queer Renegades' digs into some of Australia’s queer history - spotlighting the rebels, risk-takers, and rule-breakers who shaped the queer resistance and continue to change culture along the way.

WHAT WE DID

An idea was brought to an Audiocraft R&D session by Laura about queer spaces, the team then stretched the idea in new directions — talking more broadly about queer history and stories, and slowly the rough skeleton of Queer Renegades took shape around themes like sex, community, and family. The desire to make the series was driven by how piecemeal and hard to find queer Australian history is. ABC's Queerstralia was an inspiration, as one of the few accessible shows covering some of that ground. And then there was the broader context: more and more people are identifying as queer, often quite young, while the world seems to be closing in on the community and the rights it's fought for. We wanted to create something that could be a source of information and pride for people figuring out their identities — to show them the stories of those who came before, and that if you go back as far as you like, queer people have always been there.

The next step was to find the right partner. We pitched the idea to SBS who were keen to work with us on the project. We than had to figure out who the host and voice of the series would be, which led to Farz Edraki joining the team. Laura Brierley Newton, Olivia O’Flynn and Farz all worked on the scripts, with Farz weaving in aspects of her own story to give the stories a more personal feeling.

CREDITS

Publisher: SBS
Host: Farz Edraki
Producers: Laura Brierley Newton and Olivia O’Flynn
Sound design and mix: Laura Brierley Newton
Theme: The Vovos
Executive Producer: Kate Montague