The Rainbow, or Pride, flag of the LGBTQI+ community will be flown as the default flag on the Queen’s Gardens flagpole in Shepparton unless there is cause for other flags to be flown there.
The decision was made during Greater Shepparton City Council’s meeting on June 20 and applies until a more permanent home is found for the Rainbow flag.
Cr Sam Spinks brought the motion to council, telling the meeting that the Pride flag had been flying in Queen’s Gardens since the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia, or IDAHOBIT Day, on May 17, and should remain there until another event in the gardens requires a flag to be raised.
“There is much more work to be done, but continuing to fly the Rainbow flag is a small but mighty act that needs this decision right now and then we can move on to everything else, and the many, many, many queer people in our community can go past the Queen’s Gardens and look up at the flag and think, ‘Yes, this is the council that wants me to be safe, seen and included, I am welcome here’,” she said.
“On behalf of myself, as a queer person with a voice at this table telling you that this is important to me, on behalf of the LGBTQI+ advisory committee, who unanimously support this motion as documented in the last month’s committee meeting minutes and on behalf of our LGBTQI+ community who we stood beside and confirmed our commitment to representing them and who cheered as the flag was raised, we ask that you support this motion.”
All councillors did support the motion, except Mayor Shane Sali and Deputy Mayor Anthony Brophy.
Cr Brophy said he supported most of what Cr Spinks had put forward, but not the Rainbow flag being a default flag, saying that should be an Australian, Victorian or City of Greater Shepparton flag.
Cr Sali also questioned the Rainbow flag being a default flag for the location, and suggested he’d have preferred a recommendation to find a permanent site for the Pride flag.
Crs Seema Abdullah, Greg James, Dinny Adem, Ben Ladson, Fern Summer and Geoff Dobson all voted in favour of the motion.