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 :D
It’s statements like this that make me ashamed to be an Australian.