Queer committee called for council

A VICTORIAN Pride Lobby-run campaign is calling on Golden Plains Shire to expand their support for the region’s queer community.

Leading into the new year, members of Rainbow Local Government launched a petition for residents to request the municipality establish an LGBTIQA+ advisory committee.

Rainbow Local Government co-lead Sean Mulcahy said an advisory committee is an integral next step for the municipality’s queer inclusion.

“It can ensure that the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and asexual residents are heard on the issues affecting them by the Golden Plains council,” he said.

“Neighbouring councils including Geelong and Ballarat already have advisory committees established for this so we think it will build on that successful model as a way of listening to the community.

“When they’ve been established, they’ve been able to drive inclusion initiatives that benefit the whole community including things like making facilities more accessible or developing innovative services or events that boost tourism.”

Mr Mulcahy aims to present the petition during an upcoming council meeting early this year.

He said he expects the proposal will be backed by councillors and community.

“We’ve had discussions with councillors previously around their work to support their LGBTIQA+ community and we think based on that, this is the next logical step,” he said.

“We’ve had strong support within the community. I’m optimistic council will take it seriously when this is brought to them.

“Golden Plains Shire are doing good work. For example, they’re in the space of implementing the Victorian Government’s Rainbow Ready Roadmap for rural and regional communities.”

A Golden Plains Shire spokesperson said the municipality is keen to broaden their support for its queer community.

“Golden Plains Shire Council values the importance of our diverse community, including the LGBTIQA+ demographic. Collaboration with Rainbow Local Government is key, and we invite local contacts and data to enhance our work and advocacy in this space,” the spokesperson said.

“Any decisions about LGBTIQA+ advisory committees would be community driven. We welcome interested rainbow community members to reach out to our community inclusion team.

“While we don’t currently ask about sexual orientation in community engagements, we aim to enhance inclusivity based on community needs. We do have gender identity options outside the binary and more broadly, we are aware that residents often travel to Geelong, Ballarat, and Melbourne to access support services.”

Census data for the region from 2021 saw 95 people identified as being in a same sex de facto marriage living in the same household, and 44 in a registered same sex couple living in the same household.