Every person belongs

ONE of the strongest messages we can send as a community is that every person belongs.

For this reason, I am immensely proud that the City of Greater Geelong recently adopted its Rainbow Action Plan 2025–29.

This important document is the result of nearly 18 months of careful collaboration and is shaped by almost 700 community submissions.

In Greater Geelong, almost one in 10 adults identify as LGBTQIA+. This equates to more than 34,000 people.

Across Victoria, we know LGBTQIA+ people, especially in regional communities, experience higher rates of anxiety, depression and family violence, and report poorer health outcomes than the general population.

These are not abstract figures. They reflect barriers that affect people’s safety, wellbeing and opportunity to thrive.

According to the 2024 Geelong Preventative Health Survey, 32 per cent of participants identifying as LGBTQIA+ had experienced discrimination, while 33 per cent reported being in severe or moderate psychological distress.

I don’t identify as part of the rainbow community. As an ally, I certainly don’t speak for them. But many of the people I love most in this world do and I am very fortunate that throughout my life I have been made to feel welcome by this community.

Because of these friendships, I know that Greater Geelong has not always been a friendly place for people who are different. Even though we’d both grown up in Geelong, I met my best friend on a dance floor in Melbourne 20 years ago. I’d moved away for the live music, but his reasons for leaving were much more serious. As a gay man, Geelong just wasn’t safe.

We have come a long way since but unfortunately, some of these issues persist and that’s why this plan matters.

The Rainbow Action Plan outlines how Council will act over the next four years and is structured around four themes: understanding, inclusion, visibility, and safety.

There are 20 clear, practical actions to drive change, and each of these actions is tied to measurable indicators to track progress.

These actions include identifying risks to the safety of LGBTQIA+ people, delivering public art projects that reflect LGBTQIA+ history and experiences, providing ongoing staff training, and implementing stronger responses to online discrimination.

The Rainbow Action Plan is built on strong foundations. The LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee has been instrumental in guiding this plan.

And there are some signs of positive change. The rainbow crossing on Yarra Street has become a bold symbol of pride and inclusion.

Further, youth services like the Gender and Sexuality Project (GASP), which has been running since 1996, continue to support young people.

Events such as Wear It Purple give young people the chance to celebrate who they are and foster a sense of belonging.

What I take from the Rainbow Action Plan is a real sense of hope. So many people we spoke to during the consultation period told us this plan directly affects them or someone they love.

Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident; it’s a conscious effort.

My commitment as a councillor is to fight for a more inclusive future, for the next generation and for those elders who had to hide who they are.

The burden of challenging discrimination, educating people and creating safety should not be sitting on the shoulders of the LGBTQIA+ community.

There is much work to be done to create a truly inclusive world but as a leader and an ally, I see the importance of stepping up.

The Rainbow Action Plan provides a clear action plan to support and drive positive change and I’ll be monitoring the updates and championing the outcomes.

Cr Emma Sinclair

Charlemont Ward, City of Greater Geelong