City of Casey passes motion reaffirming support for LGBTI community

City of Casey passes motion reaffirming support for LGBTI community

THE City of Casey councillor who wanted council to cease promoting anything LGBTI-related had her proposal voted down during last night’s council meeting.

Councillors instead voted overwhelmingly in favour of a counter-motion by Deputy Mayor Louise Berkelmans and openly-gay Cr Rafal Kaplon that re-affirmed council’s support for all members of the community, including the LGBTI community.

Six councillors voted in favour of the motion, while one abstained and one — Cr Rosalie Crestani — voted against it.

City of Casey councillors also adopted a procedural motion to stop debate on the issue because of the view that the Crestani’s motion was distressing to the community.

“Support for my actions has been overwhelming, and truly reflects the community view on this issue,” said Kaplon, who was prompted to publicly disclose his sexuality this week because of this incident.

The news comes after an initial attempt to have Crestani’s motion passed at the council meeting on Tuesday night was derailed, due to council being dissolved as there was no quorum for a vote to go ahead.

Crestani’s failed motion said sexual orientation was a “private issue”, and that to address it would be “special treatment” when council “should serve all residents equally”.

Her motion also called for council’s public relations department to stop issuing media releases relating to sexual orientation or anything LGBTI-related, that council staff’s LGBTI diversity training should stop, that signs by Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria (GLVH) should be taken down, and that council committees should not be used to promote LGBTI-vested interest.

Speaking to the Star Observer on Tuesday, Crestani defended her proposal, saying the “special treatment” given to LGBTI people meant they were also “continuing to discriminate against the heterosexual community”.

She said she did not believe one group should be favoured over another, and did not believe LGBTI people were a marginalised group.

Crestani was quickly criticised in the media and among the Casey and wider LGBTI communities for her motion, with some calling it a publicity stunt in the lead-up to next weekend’s Victorian state election, in which she is running as a Rise Up Australia candidate for the upper house

Gembrook state Liberal MP Brad Battin and Holt federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne also voiced their criticisms against Crestani’s motion.

“Unfortunately Rise Up Australia states they will continue to fight against council’s decision, with Cr Crestani calling  Casey’s actions illegal,” Kaplon said.

“I am personally overjoyed that I was able to provide leadership on this issue and highlight the risk of GLBTI youth mental health.”

The Star Observer understands Crestani’s failed motion would not have being able to be implemented by council because the directions of the motion were inconsistent with the state Equal Opportunity Act.

RELATED: COUNCILLOR CRESTANI’S PROPOSAL TO BAN LGBTI PROMOTION IN CITY OF CASEY DERAILED

RELATED: CITY OF CASEY COUNCILLOR ROSALIE CRESTANI DEFENDS PROPOSAL TO BAN LGBTI PROMOTION

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10 responses to “City of Casey passes motion reaffirming support for LGBTI community”

  1. Why is the Star Observer skirting the issue of presenting a Lesbian as a fashion statement. And you really expect us to take any commentary from you as serious? A rag at best. Should have been pulled months ago. Apology overdue.