TO FLY or not to fly was the question once again posed about the rainbow flag at the Surf Coast Shire council offices.<\/p>\n
Councillors agreed to raise the flag last year on May 17 \u2013 the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) \u2013 and keep it flying until there was formal acceptance of marriage equality by the federal government.<\/p>\n
With same sex marriage laws passed on December 9 after the national plebiscite received a 61.6 per cent \u201cYes\u201d 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\u2019s flagpoles during Tuesday night\u2019s council meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a matter of principal we should have a timeframe around the flying of any flag that\u2019s used for specific purposes other than in accordance with the protocol,\u201d Cr Wellington said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t get into the same situation again where we have a flag flying indefinitely that\u2019s not part of the protocol.\u201d<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
Cr Brian McKiterick said he was afraid debating a timeframe for the rainbow flag would \u201copen old wounds\u201d.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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\u2019t, it flies for another day, a week, month or year,\u201d Cr Wellington said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 \u2013 the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) \u2013 and keep it flying until there was formal acceptance of marriage […]<\/p>\n