Building on our Pride Month momentum, help us cross the finish line and impact queer youth for years to come! Double your impact with matched donations to reach our final goal and unlock a new Queer Formal location.

For over 15 years, Minus18’s Queer Formal has stood as a beacon of pride, safety, and unconditional celebration for LGBTQIA+ young people. What began in 2010 as a grassroots response to the high rates of bullying and exclusion faced by queer youth at traditional school events has grown into a nationwide movement.

Today, Queer Formal has welcomed more than 12,000 attendees across Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide. And in 2027 we’re expanding that to a brand new city.

Building on the overwhelming support ignited during Pride Month, we’re now entering the final home stretch of our campaign. We need your support to close out our final $10,000 fundraising goal this GiveOUT Day to officially lock in our newest location, and to ensure the long-term sustainability of this new Queer Formal, and our existing three locations.

And this year, your donations are being doubled via GiveOUT Day's dollar-matching!

For many attendees, Queer Formal is more than just a party. It’s often the very first time they experience a sense of belonging within the LGBTQIA+ community. We hear it all the time – in person, and through the feedback that comes afterwards, from young people and their families.

Our attendees' feedback highlights the profound impact of these spaces:

• 97% of attendees report feeling completely safe,
• 88% feel significantly more connected to the community, and
• 90% feel more positive about their identity after attending.

Why Queer Formal is Needed Now More Than Ever

Our landmark Queer Youth Now (2025) report captured LGBTQIA+ youth voices in Australia, surveying 2,724 young people aged 13 to 25. What shone through wasn’t just the resilience of queer youth, but also the urgent need for support:

• 89% of LGBTQIA+ young people have experienced bullying, harassment, or violence due to their identity, with 57% experiencing it in the past year.
• 99% of queer young people say that making friends within the community is an essential part of their lives, yet 88% are not connected to local groups.

For many LGBTQIA+ young people, attending a traditional school formal remains unsafe or unsupportive. Queer Formal steps in to turn a moment that can feel exclusionary into an unforgettable celebration pride.

Support Queer Formal

Our Mission for 2027: Bringing Queer Formal to a New Location

Every young person should have access to life-affirming spaces regardless of where they live. That’s why we’re doing GiveOUT Day: to expand Queer Formal to a brand new Australian city in 2027.

We need your support right now to reach our final $10,000 target and fund this first new Queer Formal city expansion in over seven years, not as a once-off but a beacon for the local community returning yearly.

Delivering high-impact, accessible events takes a village. Every single ticket to Queer Formal is completely free for attendees, removing financial barriers so that thousands of young people each year can attend.

And this GiveOUT Day, every dollar you donate will be matched, doubling your power to keep these events free and safe amidst rising event costs. Donate $25 and make it $50; $100 to make it $200. In fact, dollar-matching is already live!

Your Dollar-Matched Donation Makes Double the Difference

Every tax-deductible donation directly contributes to expanding our reach and ensuring LGBTQIA+ youth can thrive:

• Just $50 funds a free ticket for young people to attend Queer Formal, including food, drinks and amazing local performers
• Your support covers venue, security, safety staff, youth workers, Auslan interpreters, sensory quiet spaces, and inclusive activations.
• Help us lay the groundwork to bring this life affirming space to a new home in 2027, while continuing our impact in existing locations.

Together, we can ensure that every LGBTQIA+ young person in Australia knows they are celebrated, supported, and valued for exactly who they are.

Ready to make an impact?

GiveOUT Day is October 15 – but dollar-matching is already live! Visit GiveOUT Day today to make a tax-deductible donation, help us reach our $10,000 GiveOUT Day goal, and match your support dollar-for-dollar.