Bogan is Aussie for RedneckOh. Oh dear. How worried should I be then?
Depends how far into Bogan territory you go.
By and large, most bogans are harmless. They’re either too drunk, too lazy, or both to do much in the way of harm.
Your common urban bogan is also known as the Dole Bludger. The only time they show activity is when they’re collecting their dole cheque or another slab of beer at the bottle-o.
Your rural bogan is more commonly known as a Cow Cockie [or they used to be, I’m not as up on my Strine as I once was] and is more likely to be armed. However, it’s only ever legal to shoot feral animals so wear very bright colours if you’re planning on visiting anyone’s farm.
Most bogans will only call you ethnic slurs [eg: Pom, Wog, Yank etc.] owing to their very insular makeup. Bogans, in my experience, are best avoided if you can’t find a way to blend in. [Standing a round (paying for beer) at the local pub is a good method, but draining on the budget]
Watch out for the vehicular bogan, also known as the Hoon. This subspecies is focussed entirely on their car, skating the law for drag racing, street stunt driving, and possessing bass speakers that may be capable of causing structural damage.
Anyone more up-to-date on the bogan populations of the north is welcome to contribute.
How safe is it to be queer? Should I be expecting to see non-white members of the UCD delegation getting harassed? Should I be expecting harassment for not looking stereotypically feminine?
1) Not very. Wear protective colouration if possible. Claim a best-beloved waiting for you at home should they get persistent and get a kitty-shaped punch dagger for your keychain in case they can’t take a hint.
2) Unfortunately, bogans are hella racist. Evolve a buddy system.
3) Sadly, yes. As I said, get some camouflage and go temporarily super-femme wherever you can. Remember - costume rings can serve as efficacious knuckledusters :DIt’s statements like this that make me ashamed to be an Australian.
*sighs* And here I was getting excited…..
Can’t invent a best beloved because then the labmates would ask questions. Can’t take punch daggers on planes. Idk if I can go superfemme and still look professional at a conference. My usual conference getup is slacks + nice blouse + sensible pumps - I can wear more jewelry, but I never learned to do makeup other than lipstick and minimal eyeshadow. Outside of those situations, I usually go for jeans + geeky t-shirt. Is that safe?
The conference is at a resort and it is international- would that help at all? I mean, that’d insulate us somewhat right? Or would I still be at risk? It looks like we’re on the beach - I kinda want to just lie and take in the sun a bit - would that be safe?
As for buddy system - I might just shadow Kristan then. And not drink. (or do the polite ‘sip a gin and grapefruit slowly the whole night’ thing)
You should be mostly safe [as safe as anything is in Australia]. The bizcas look is fine, as are jeans and a T-shirt.
Bogans are only dangerous in large, inebriated groups. Take the above precautions if you encounter any. Singular bogans are only loud and annoying.
And since beachwear is cossies and thongs(flip-flops), you should be fine. The beach is the great equaliser, because everyone looks horrible with their swimsuit riding up their bum crack. Remember the SPF 30+ and the insect repellant.
Nail polish might help, too. On the feminising thing.
The good news is that the Greater Australian Bogan is gradually dying out as more liberal attitudes are creeping into the country. I’m nowhere near Cairns, so I have no idea how bogan the bogans are up there.
Boganity is relative.
[Oh, and there’s a flashcard/slideshow version of Come to Australia by the Scared Weird Little Guys that shows you what some of our more toxic wildlife looks like so you can avoid them. Check Google for what’s toxic around Cairns, just in case.]
Anyone in or near Cairns who can help clear up the bogan situation?