Arabic version: مبدعون من تاونسفيل يطلقون مطبوعة كويرية باسم CROOKED

According to ABC News, Townsville creatives Michael Smith and writer P. Eldridge have created CROOKED, an independent queer publication rooted in Gurambilbarra, the traditional Wulgurukaba name for Townsville. The publication was due to launch on November 14 and emerged from a desire to build more visible connections for queer and trans people in the regional city.

Mx Smith, a professional dancer who grew up in Gladstone before moving to Brisbane and later returning to regional Queensland, said Townsville had a large queer and trans community but few overtly visible ways to bring people together. They said growing up in a regional place, they lacked elders and community members who could show what a queer life might look like.

For contributor Lij Bolden, writing for CROOKED offered a way to revisit memories of realising they were queer and discovering others like them. Mx Bolden said the process allowed them to reflect on experiences of loneliness and feeling unseen, while recognising that their queerness had been present throughout their life.

The project follows concerns about safety and visibility. Mx Smith was preparing to perform at a Townsville Pride event in June 2025 when a small group disrupted the event; an attendee who asked the group to leave was allegedly assaulted. Queensland Council for LGBTI Health chief executive Rebecca Reynolds said visible inclusion should lead to practical support, including welcoming people, clear information and activities people can join.

P. Eldridge said queer culture did not exist only in capital cities and that Gurambilbarra had its own queer histories and ways of making community. Mx Smith described CROOKED as a “messier version of queerness” and said they hoped it would give people permission to create, express themselves and live loudly without apology.