Rainbow flag continues to raise questions at council

February 28, 2018 BY Jessica Nicol

The rainbow flag – seen here when it was first flown at the Surf Coast Shire council offices on May 17 last year in support of the LGBTIQ community’s quest for marriage equality, and before it was moved to an “issues” flagpole – has continued to cause debate among councillors.

TO FLY or not to fly was the question once again posed about the rainbow flag at the Surf Coast Shire council offices.

Councillors agreed to raise the flag last year on May 17 – the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) – and keep it flying until there was formal acceptance of marriage equality by the federal government.

With same sex marriage laws passed on December 9 after the national plebiscite received a 61.6 per cent “Yes” vote, and same sex couples able to legally marry from January 9 onwards, councillor Heather Wellington sought to clarify specific timeframes on any future flags raised on the shire’s flagpoles during Tuesday night’s council meeting.

“As a matter of principal we should have a timeframe around the flying of any flag that’s used for specific purposes other than in accordance with the protocol,” Cr Wellington said.

“We shouldn’t get into the same situation again where we have a flag flying indefinitely that’s not part of the protocol.”

Cr Wellington moved a motion that council adopt the Surf Coast Shire Flag Policy SCS-035 with an additional point that a time limit be applied to the flying of flags on the front lawn and pond flagpoles (those specifically erected to fly flags for council resolutions and awareness raising campaigns respectively).

Cr Brian McKiterick said he was afraid debating a timeframe for the rainbow flag would “open old wounds”.

Cr Wellington said she was happy for her motion to be deferred so the rainbow flag could be discussed at the next ordinary council meeting, where the issues could finally be resolved.

“I would envision we will address the issue of how long the rainbow flag is expected to fly and council can debate it then, maybe it does fly forever and council endorses that or council says it doesn’t, it flies for another day, a week, month or year,” Cr Wellington said.

“I think that’s the opportunity at that point for the issue to be resolved and for any future resolution of council about any flag whatsoever. The intention is we not let ourselves get into a situation where we have a very contentious issue that ends up with no end date.”