Melbourne councils pledge LGBTI inclusion

A MELBOURNE city council has promised to deliver opportunities to minorities including LGBTI people in its new community plan.

The Glen Eira City Council in the city’s south-east has taken on community feedback to add the strategy to its draft council and community plan for 2017–2021.

The council’s strategic objectives will include a pledge to “provide opportunities to communities who may be discriminated against, such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, disability community, culturally and linguistically diverse community and [LGBTI] community, to access programs, gain supports and engage in community life”.

The addition to the plan was made following input from community advocates Michael Barnett and Gregory Storer.

The nearby City of Monash has also agreed to Barnett and Storer’s recommendation to include trans status in its city plan in relation to community diversity.

“Council reaffirms its commitment to celebrating diversity and inclusion in our community and supports residents and employees in advocating for marriage equality,” said the City of Monash Council in its response.

“This includes continuing to ensure that all our programs and services are inclusive of the [LGBTI] community, and would support events such as the Pride March and the Midsumma Festival.

“Additionally Council acknowledges that [LGBTI] people frequently experience discrimination which results in poorer mental health compared to the rest of the population and have the highest rates of suicidality of any population in Australia… Council will continue to address current issues of discrimination against valued members of our community.”

Barnett and Storer’s submission at a council meeting to fly the rainbow flag outside the Monash Civic Centre was not explicitly approved.

“Council will need a formal Council resolution to fly the rainbow flag to be consistent with Council’s flag protocol,” it said.

City halls around Australia raised the rainbow flag for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in May, with Melbourne’s Darebin Council pledging to keep the flag up until marriage equality is achieved.