Brisbane Pride Announces The Return Of The Carswell Forum

Brisbane Pride and the Queensland LGBTQIA+ Alliance have announced the return of the Carswell Forum, bringing community leaders, activists, advocates, service providers, researchers and government representatives together at the Gabba on October 30.

Following its successful debut in 2025, the free, ticketed forum will provide a space to assess progress, confront continuing challenges and develop practical priorities for LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy communities across Queensland.

Carswell Forum Returns

Brisbane Pride president James McCarthy said the forum would create an opportunity for the community to reflect honestly on its achievements and the work still required.

“The Carswell Forum is about bringing our community together to look honestly at where we are, what we have achieved and what still needs to change”. Queensland has come a long way, but progress cannot be taken for granted. There are still Queenslanders who face discrimination, barriers to services, isolation and uncertainty about their future” he said.

“We also need to be honest about where governments have got things wrong, where decisions have made life harder for our communities and where more needs to be done. We need to be prepared to challenge when we disagree, and to engage constructively where doing so can deliver better outcomes for our communities”.

The 2026 forum will examine longstanding and emerging issues including community safety, discrimination, access to appropriate services and support, the changing policy environment and the experiences of LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy people living in rural, regional and remote Queensland.

It will also showcase work being undertaken across the state and explore opportunities for stronger collaboration among community organisations, service providers, government and industry.

Queensland LGBTQIA+ Alliance CEO Rebecca Johnson said the forum would place the sector’s knowledge and leadership at the centre of the conversation.

” The 2026 Carswell Forum will elevate the leadership, expertise and lived experience of Queensland’s LGBTQIA+ member services, showcasing work led by and for LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy communities” she said.

“The Forum will demonstrate the impact, innovation and stewardship of Queensland-led projects and services strengthening safety and wellbeing across metropolitan, rural, regional and remote communities”.

The Carswell Forum is named in honour of Phil Carswell OAM, the pioneering HIV and AIDS activist and human rights advocate who died in 2024.

Carswell’s work demonstrated the importance of placing affected communities at the centre of decisions about their lives. Following his death, politicians and community leaders across Australia paid tribute to his decades of advocacy, leadership and service.

“Phil Carswell understood the importance of community, advocacy and standing together. He also understood that lasting change requires people to keep turning up, keep making the case and keep looking for opportunities to make a difference” McCarthy Said.

“Phil Carswell OAM’s legacy calls us to listen, connect and act. We are proud to support Brisbane Pride in delivering the Forum and encourage government, industry and the community-controlled sector to hear directly from Queensland’s LGBTQIA+ sector leaders” said Rebecca Johnson.

The inaugural Carswell Forum was launched by Brisbane Pride and the Queensland LGBTQIA+ Alliance in 2025 and held at the Royal International Convention Centre in Bowen Hills.

Its discussions covered domestic, family and sexual violence, racism, health and wellbeing, community cohesion, mental health and the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people in regional and rural Queensland. Speakers also explored gaps in legal protections and inclusive healthcare, the effects of stigma and the importance of affirming, community-led services.

Organisers say the discussions and connections developed at this year’s forum will help shape advocacy and community priorities during the year ahead, ensuring lived experience remains central to decisions affecting LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy Queenslanders.

“The Carswell Forum gives us a chance to have those difficult conversations, recognise the progress we have made and build a practical agenda for the year ahead. We may not always agree, but we should always be prepared to work together where we can.”

The 2026 Carswell Forum will be held from 8.30am to 4pm on Friday, October 30, in the Legends Room on Level 5 of the Hyundai Centre at the Gabba.

Community organisations, service providers and activists can register for the free event at 2026CarswellForum.eventbrite.com.au.

For more information, head to brisbanepride.org.au