If you have been following us on our website you will know that we have been discussing our name for a while now. It is a complex topic with lots to think about and we will be posting a more detailed explanation about our decision in the future but for now let us announce that we will temporarily be calling the festival RADICAL QUEER RESISTANCE and we are arranging a workshop to be held at the festival where we will collectively work out what we should call this festival. We will tide you over in the meantime with the following points.

1) It is very important to us that we do not erase the significance and meaning of the name ‘Queeristan’. The name was never about putting something cool sounding on the end of the word ‘Queer’.

2) Organisers have always taken cultural appropriation very seriously and there has been discomfort over the name for sometime. The current team ultimately made the decision to change this years name because we do not want to dismiss the claim that it is appropriation and therefore inappropriate.

3) This is not about how many people of colour or white people organise the festival. It is about who can claim ownership over the suffix ‘-stan.’ We have found it important to discuss the name with the people who originally named the festival and are continuing this discussion.

4) Whilst we will be holding a discussion on how to actually name the festival at the festival itself, we also want to focus peoples attention on what this festival is actually about. We feel very strongly that ‘Radical Queer Resistance’ captures the drive, passion and force behind this festival and hope that all name suggestions in the future will keep this sentiment in mind.

—Our email and website will remain the same for the time being as this name is probably a temporary one, but for now be assured that this festival is called RADICAL QUEER RESISTANCE !!!!!!