Australian LGBT Media Veteran Destiny Rogers Has Passed Away

Destiny Rogers, Australian LGBTQI+ media veteran, performer, former Managing Editor of QNews and a beloved queer feature writer and historian, has passed away at age 64.

Destiny passed away after a long battle with metastatic lung cancer at her home in Hervey Bay, Queensland.

At Destiny’s own request, there will not be a funeral or memorial service, but there will be a private cremation next week.

My memories of Destiny Rogers

Over the course of my career I worked with Destiny long enough to bear witness to her dry humour and ability to tell a story on a dime, of which she had many.

Destiny could build you up, tear you down and pick you back up quicker than look at you. Never short of an opinion she provided a wealth of information for those around her.

It’s no secret that the world of queer journalism can be competitive but we also work in an industry that contains mutual respect for one another, and I deeply respected Destiny Rogers.

She was never backwards in coming forwards, and her sharp criticism of some of my earliest work as a queer journalist is what fundamentally shaped my skills into the writer I am now (writing which she’d be quick to remind me isn’t going to win a Pulitzer prize anytime soon, thanks Destiny! 😂)

Having worked with her on and off over the years, I know if I tried to put together some sort of sentimental, touching tribute of her legacy to attempt to make her sound like a wholesome saint to the queer community, she’d heckle and razz me for it.

However Destiny did a hell of a lot for the queer community, and never deluded herself with any sort of grandeur about it.

While others may collect their achievements and accolades like a trophies for display, Destiny collected stories – both her own, and stories of those around her.

Having spent decades traversing the streets and night clubs of Fortitude Valley, Destiny forged lasting relationships with those who built our community while she held the memories of those long past.

Stories told of her time in Cairns reveal a vibrant past, rich with her contributions to the far north community who won’t soon forget her.

As a proud trans woman, performer, sex worker, writer and eventual historian, Destiny was a voice for those who needed it and a voice for the stories which needed to be told.

I can only hope there are plenty of people with memories of Destiny’s incredible life, who can continue to tell her story for many years to come.

Tributes to Destiny Rogers pour in online

Brisbane Pride said the organisation was “saddened to hear of the passing of Destiny Rogers.”

“Her contributions to Brisbane Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community in Brisbane, Queensland and beyond leave behind a remarkable legacy for all. She will be dearly missed.”

The Lost Cairns & District Facebook page posted a memorial from Marjorie Earl, who says it was “a privilege to have known Destiny”.

“She was an amazing, beautiful, talented, intelligent woman with a real zest for life and who lived life both to the full and on her terms,” Marjorie said. “Destiny was a historian, editor, journalist, the Queen of Trivia, a strong advocate for the Pride community, and a friend. She was once even a crocodile wrangler. I’m fairly sure she would not appreciate the cliches I’m using but I am not the wordsmith she was. Rest in Peace, Destiny. You will be sorely missed.”

The Australian Queer Archives (AQuA) also posted a memorial about Destiny and her legacy of writing.