The Rainbow Flag was raised on IDAHOBIT and Wear It Purple Day, and that was it for Pride Month in Bass Coast. Digitally altered image
By Mikhaela Barlow
BORN and bred in Bass Coast, and a member of the Rainbow Community (I've always hated that infernal acronym), I was looking forward to celebrating and commemorating Pride Month in my home town, especially with the recent development of Berninneit.
I anticipated an art exhibition or maybe a selection of LBGTIQA+ classic films such as Priscilla, Rocky Horror, Brokeback Mountain and Love Simon, or maybe a showcasing of amazing revolutionary allies like Marlene Dietrich and Elizabeth Taylor. I assumed the library would display books written by emerging Rainbow authors, or that the Rainbow flag might be projected in lights across the front of the building at night, if not hung from the flagpoles for the month.
BORN and bred in Bass Coast, and a member of the Rainbow Community (I've always hated that infernal acronym), I was looking forward to celebrating and commemorating Pride Month in my home town, especially with the recent development of Berninneit.
I anticipated an art exhibition or maybe a selection of LBGTIQA+ classic films such as Priscilla, Rocky Horror, Brokeback Mountain and Love Simon, or maybe a showcasing of amazing revolutionary allies like Marlene Dietrich and Elizabeth Taylor. I assumed the library would display books written by emerging Rainbow authors, or that the Rainbow flag might be projected in lights across the front of the building at night, if not hung from the flagpoles for the month.
The Rainbow Flag was raised on IDAHOBIT and Wear It Purple Day. I made multiple attempts to contact the council to ask if I’d missed anything. I eventually learned that council staff were also encouraged to wear Pride lanyards. Some attempts were made to claim credit for community-led initiatives. And that was it.
A couple of weeks later, at the July 17 council meeting, a report was presented in response to a petition requesting the council to “explore options for continuing engagement with the LGBTIQA+ community, including establishing an LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee”.
The petition was moved by Cr Geoff Ellis and seconded by Cr David Rooks.
The officers’ report stated that current council plans “did not include scope for the creation of a dedicated advisory committee“, but that ‘Council is strongly committed to building relationships, connection, visibility and inclusion for diverse communities and ongoing implementation of current initiatives will continue to deliver those outcomes and strengthen engagement with LGBTIQA+ communities in Bass Coast Shire.’
The plans mentioned in the discussion to promote the issues of the LGBTIQA+ community were Healthy Communities, Living Young, and Access, Equity and Inclusion.
The Healthy Communities Plan mentions increasing “visibility” and “‘meaningful opportunities”, “commitment to LGBTIQA+ organisations” and “increased positive support and attitudes to diverse communities”. Whatever that is supposed to mean.
The Living Young Plan mentions continuing to work with South Coast Inclusion Network* and the YES Youth Hub to provide a “more inclusive and welcoming environment for the LGBTIQA+ community and young people living with a disability”.
The Access Equity and Inclusion Plan does not mention the LGBTIQA+ community at all but is about access for people with disabilities.
The council appears to conflate the Rainbow community and the disabled community. While there are people in the gender-diverse community who are disabled, our identity is not a disability.
At the last council election cycle in 2020, the Victorian Pride Lobby circulated a pledge to all candidates as part of their Rainbow Local Government campaign. The non-partisan campaign was created to increase diversity and to identify allies who would be able to champion change on LGBTIQA+ issues in local government.
The five asks of the pledge were:
Current councillors Leticia Laing, Ron Bauer, David Rooks, and Geoff Ellis all signed the pledge in whole, while Cr Rochelle Halstead signed in part. Four other current councillors did not respond to the pledge.
None of those councillors who signed the pledge mentioned it at the council meeting - even though the petition related to a LGBTIQA+ advisory committee, which is one of the asks of the pledge.
During the discussion, Cr Halstead expressed concerns that having “separate entities and separate groups … is quite divisive”. “I see it as segregation… with different community groups, to me, that's a divisive way of approaching it … I just want to look at our community as one, instead of all these different groups with different, you know, ideas.”
Using this argument, there’s no need to consult the elderly on their specific healthcare needs, or parents about post-natal healthcare - because it could be divisive.
Given how often the council conflates the Rainbow and Disabled community in their public documents, plans and discussion, I can only imagine the Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee is meant to liaise with and represent the views and concerns of the Rainbow community.
“The LGBTQI+ community is always welcome in this chamber, as is the rest of the community,” Cr Halstead said.
The petition was not about feeling welcome in the council chamber (where the public has no ability to speak during council meetings); it was about establishing an advisory committee.
As Cr Whelan said, “It's hard to see through a minority's eyes when you're not part of that minority.”
Councillors voted to "consider opportunities to further strengthen engagement with LGBTIQA+ communities through the development Council’s next Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (2025-2029), including considering establishment of a dedicated advisory committee".
To the council, it’s time to stop hiding behind vague plans and start taking concrete actions to support the Rainbow community.
While we may be “welcome” inside the council chamber, a lot of us feel unwelcome, and occasionally even unsafe, outside in our towns and wider Bass Coast community. Bigotry and prejudice still exist here. It is widespread and can be violent, and the council has no plan to address it. They also have no mechanism for reporting it, as they have no council staff handling LGBTIQA+ issues.
The fact that the report stated there were “no financial implications” is proof of that.
An advisory committee would be able to come up with ideas and initiatives to increase awareness and acceptance within Bass Coast and help educate the community about things like IDAHOBIT and Wear It Purple Day. An advisory committee would have advised the council to build gender-neutral bathrooms in Berninneit.
An advisory committee would have made sure Pride Month was actually celebrated this year, instead of barely being acknowledged.
Why should this matter to people outside the Rainbow community? This is not just about Pride Month or an advisory committee; it’s about holding our leaders accountable to their word.
* The South Coast Inclusion Network has been disbanded.
A couple of weeks later, at the July 17 council meeting, a report was presented in response to a petition requesting the council to “explore options for continuing engagement with the LGBTIQA+ community, including establishing an LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee”.
The petition was moved by Cr Geoff Ellis and seconded by Cr David Rooks.
The officers’ report stated that current council plans “did not include scope for the creation of a dedicated advisory committee“, but that ‘Council is strongly committed to building relationships, connection, visibility and inclusion for diverse communities and ongoing implementation of current initiatives will continue to deliver those outcomes and strengthen engagement with LGBTIQA+ communities in Bass Coast Shire.’
The plans mentioned in the discussion to promote the issues of the LGBTIQA+ community were Healthy Communities, Living Young, and Access, Equity and Inclusion.
The Healthy Communities Plan mentions increasing “visibility” and “‘meaningful opportunities”, “commitment to LGBTIQA+ organisations” and “increased positive support and attitudes to diverse communities”. Whatever that is supposed to mean.
The Living Young Plan mentions continuing to work with South Coast Inclusion Network* and the YES Youth Hub to provide a “more inclusive and welcoming environment for the LGBTIQA+ community and young people living with a disability”.
The Access Equity and Inclusion Plan does not mention the LGBTIQA+ community at all but is about access for people with disabilities.
The council appears to conflate the Rainbow community and the disabled community. While there are people in the gender-diverse community who are disabled, our identity is not a disability.
At the last council election cycle in 2020, the Victorian Pride Lobby circulated a pledge to all candidates as part of their Rainbow Local Government campaign. The non-partisan campaign was created to increase diversity and to identify allies who would be able to champion change on LGBTIQA+ issues in local government.
The five asks of the pledge were:
- Undertake Rainbow Tick accreditation for council-run services;
- Establish or continue an LGBTIQA+ advisory committee to council;
- Develop and implement an LGBTIQA+ action plan for council;
- Fly the rainbow flag from council buildings on LGBTIQA+ awareness days; and
- March at Pride March under a council banner or participate in Midsumma or local pride events.
Current councillors Leticia Laing, Ron Bauer, David Rooks, and Geoff Ellis all signed the pledge in whole, while Cr Rochelle Halstead signed in part. Four other current councillors did not respond to the pledge.
None of those councillors who signed the pledge mentioned it at the council meeting - even though the petition related to a LGBTIQA+ advisory committee, which is one of the asks of the pledge.
During the discussion, Cr Halstead expressed concerns that having “separate entities and separate groups … is quite divisive”. “I see it as segregation… with different community groups, to me, that's a divisive way of approaching it … I just want to look at our community as one, instead of all these different groups with different, you know, ideas.”
Using this argument, there’s no need to consult the elderly on their specific healthcare needs, or parents about post-natal healthcare - because it could be divisive.
Given how often the council conflates the Rainbow and Disabled community in their public documents, plans and discussion, I can only imagine the Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee is meant to liaise with and represent the views and concerns of the Rainbow community.
“The LGBTQI+ community is always welcome in this chamber, as is the rest of the community,” Cr Halstead said.
The petition was not about feeling welcome in the council chamber (where the public has no ability to speak during council meetings); it was about establishing an advisory committee.
As Cr Whelan said, “It's hard to see through a minority's eyes when you're not part of that minority.”
Councillors voted to "consider opportunities to further strengthen engagement with LGBTIQA+ communities through the development Council’s next Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (2025-2029), including considering establishment of a dedicated advisory committee".
To the council, it’s time to stop hiding behind vague plans and start taking concrete actions to support the Rainbow community.
While we may be “welcome” inside the council chamber, a lot of us feel unwelcome, and occasionally even unsafe, outside in our towns and wider Bass Coast community. Bigotry and prejudice still exist here. It is widespread and can be violent, and the council has no plan to address it. They also have no mechanism for reporting it, as they have no council staff handling LGBTIQA+ issues.
The fact that the report stated there were “no financial implications” is proof of that.
An advisory committee would be able to come up with ideas and initiatives to increase awareness and acceptance within Bass Coast and help educate the community about things like IDAHOBIT and Wear It Purple Day. An advisory committee would have advised the council to build gender-neutral bathrooms in Berninneit.
An advisory committee would have made sure Pride Month was actually celebrated this year, instead of barely being acknowledged.
Why should this matter to people outside the Rainbow community? This is not just about Pride Month or an advisory committee; it’s about holding our leaders accountable to their word.
* The South Coast Inclusion Network has been disbanded.