The Queer Society Online

Community Services Online – The Queer Society Online

As social-distancing practises impact how not-for-profits interact both within themselves and the community more widely, groups such as The Queer Society stand out in their development of unique online community spaces with alternatives to physical meetings and events.
 
The Queer Society is a South Australian youth based social and advocacy community organisation that has been operating since the early 90’s and was re-founded in 2017 by a group of Flinders University Students. The club quickly became a peak body for LGBTIQ+ students, under the guidance of their current president going on to win ‘Most Improved Club’ in 2017, and ‘Best Club Event’ in 2018, from The Flinders University Student Association. The organisation has continued to win awards, shifting their focus during 2018 to becoming one of South Australia’s principal advocate and social groups for youth of diverse sexes, sexualities, and genders.
 
In discussion of the groups shift from a university based club to state-wide organisation, Queer Society member Nathan states that there was a dissatisfaction with how youth groups were run: “There’s no youth-oriented groups run by young people in South Australia,” he says, the few groups that are, being critically under-resourced. Nathan told Connecting Up that he was inspired to join The Queer Society and “…provide something for people that I didn’t have,” the group working towards enacting social advocacy and creating spaces for connection and support at a state-wide level. For this huge task, Nathan tells Connecting Up that the organisation is always open to new members and ideas.

Whilst the organisation typically hosts over thirty highly anticipated and engaging events annually for LGBTQ+ people and their allies, social-distancing measures, have forced the organisation to reconsider how they present events and conduct physical meetings. In development since August 2019, and accessible as of March 2020, The Queer Society has developed The Queer Society Online, a digital hub for connecting and engaging with members and friends of all ages.

The Queer Society Online features a weekly schedule of online events and chat forums. Through the central hub, over a hundred members engage both with each other and a variety of events including online board games, cards against humanity, jack box games, video games, Friday night movies, quiz nights, and a communal Hunger Games simulation. This central hub features autonomous community chat servers and special interest chats that aim to keep members connected even in isolation. The organisation’s online twenty-four hour Minecraft server, accessible from their website’s homepage, additionally encourages even young LGBTIQ+ individuals to find support and community in an online safe space with constant access to COVID-19 support, resources, and information.

Despite social-distancing altering the way in which this organisation hosts its many events, The Queer Society has risen to the occasion and already tackled an international event in its new online community space. In celebration of this year’s International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31 2020), the organisation has focused upon artists with themed movie and quiz nights, and literary and visual art competitions whose winners will later be compiled into an online Zine.

The Queer Society explains on their website: “We understand that current circumstances have made life complex and difficult for a number of members in our community…This event aims to contribute to income for some of these artists, whilst publicizing their work and spreading diversity and inclusivity.”

The Queer Society is just one of the various South Australian not-for-profits who have continued to diligently serve and connect the Australian community during isolation. The Queer Society Online signifies not only a chance for LGBTIQ+ individuals and allies to attend events and form connections in isolation, but provides an example of how their organisation may deliver even further reaching support to South Australian communities and individuals. Queer Society member Nathan informs us that as an organisation, "The Queer Society aims to be the first charity in South Australia with focus on LGBTIQ+ youth. We believe The Queer Society Online represents an extraordinary step in the right direction."

Interested in finding out more?
Visit The Queer Society Online www.thequeersociety.com/qsonline