It appears more and more likely that the LGBTQI nutters have reached their high water mark now and are begining to be ignored without the sky falling in...
Managers at the Shrine of Remembrance have cancelled plans to illuminate the landmark in rainbow colours after staff received threats and abuse ahead of an exhibition celebrating the service of LGBTQ veterans.
A statement from the memorial’s administrators on Saturday said the exhibition and a Last Post service, scheduled for Sunday, would go ahead, but rainbow lighting planned for the colonnades in the evening would not.
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The Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne will no longer be lit up with rainbow coloured lights, after staff received a tirade of hateful abuse.
“Over several days, our staff have received and been subject to abuse, and in some cases, threats,” Shrine of Remembrance chief Dean Lee said.
“We have seen something of what members of the LGBTIQ community experience every day. It is hateful.”
“As a peaceful place of remembrance, we seek to provide a safe and inclusive place for all,” he said.
The abuse followed a 3AW radio segment on Wednesday during which presenter Neil Mitchell said the rainbow flag “can be divisive” and lighting up the war memorial was a step too far.
Mitchell told The Age on Saturday that it was awful staff had received threats and abuse, but defended his comments. He said he supported the exhibition but personally had taken issue with the rainbow lighting.
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“I think the Shrine is sacrosanct and shouldn’t be used in that way, not just for gay and LGBTQI issues but on any issues,” he said.
“It’s one thing to illuminate Town Hall or Flinders Street Station. I think it’s a bigger step to illuminate the Shrine.”
Yvonne Sillett, the co-founder of the Discharged LGBTI Veterans’ Association and who features in a video in the exhibition, said she had been elated the rainbow colours would feature on the memorial and was shattered to learn it would not go ahead.
Sillett told the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide in February that military police interrogated her over her sexuality in the army in the 1980s, leading her to experience suicidal thoughts and take an honourable discharge the following year.
“We’ve struggled when we were in, we struggled when we were out. Absolutely treat us all the same, but that didn’t happen to us,” she said.
Sillett said some comments on social media following the radio segment had been hurtful to LGBTQ veterans and serving members.
“These trolls are probably not even going to go to the exhibition, but they need to go ... to see what we went through.”
The exhibition, Defending with Pride: Stories of LGBTQ+ Service, marks the first time an Australian war memorial has examined LGBTQ service in a dedicated exhibition. It is the third in a series of exhibits exploring individual identity in times of war.
Lee told 3AW on Wednesday that he questioned whether the pride colours were divisive.
Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance has cancelled plans to illuminate the site in rainbow colours, citing abuse and threats directed at its staff.Credit:Getty Images
“The ADF has recognised gay, lesbian and bisexual members since 1992, so we are talking 30 years of recognition within the ADF, so I don’t know it is that divisive within the defence community,” Lee said.
“It was considered very carefully ... we felt this was an important thing to recognise.”
Lee said he would be surprised if the majority of Victoria was not supportive of the decision to recognise diversity of service.
“The horrors of war and the legacy of service do not discriminate and every member who has served in the ADF needs to be able to be recognised with pride,” he said.
Shrine of Remembrance ditches rainbow light plan after receiving threats, abuse
By Jackson Graham
Updated July 30, 2022 — 5.55pmfirst published at 4.08pmKey points
- The Shrine of Remembrance has cancelled plans to illuminate the building in rainbow colours after staff received threats and abuse.
- The light show was to be part of an exhibition celebrating the service of LGBTQ veterans.
- The Shrine’s chief executive, Dean Lee, said the ADF had recognised LGBTW veterans since 1992.
Managers at the Shrine of Remembrance have cancelled plans to illuminate the landmark in rainbow colours after staff received threats and abuse ahead of an exhibition celebrating the service of LGBTQ veterans.
A statement from the memorial’s administrators on Saturday said the exhibition and a Last Post service, scheduled for Sunday, would go ahead, but rainbow lighting planned for the colonnades in the evening would not.
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Rainbow lights canned at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne will no longer be lit up with rainbow coloured lights, after staff received a tirade of hateful abuse.
“Over several days, our staff have received and been subject to abuse, and in some cases, threats,” Shrine of Remembrance chief Dean Lee said.
“We have seen something of what members of the LGBTIQ community experience every day. It is hateful.”
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Lee made the decision in the interests of minimising harm after consulting veteran associations, representatives of the LGBTQ veteran community and the state government, among other partners and friends, the statement said.“As a peaceful place of remembrance, we seek to provide a safe and inclusive place for all,” he said.
The abuse followed a 3AW radio segment on Wednesday during which presenter Neil Mitchell said the rainbow flag “can be divisive” and lighting up the war memorial was a step too far.
Mitchell told The Age on Saturday that it was awful staff had received threats and abuse, but defended his comments. He said he supported the exhibition but personally had taken issue with the rainbow lighting.
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“I think the Shrine is sacrosanct and shouldn’t be used in that way, not just for gay and LGBTQI issues but on any issues,” he said.
“It’s one thing to illuminate Town Hall or Flinders Street Station. I think it’s a bigger step to illuminate the Shrine.”
Yvonne Sillett, the co-founder of the Discharged LGBTI Veterans’ Association and who features in a video in the exhibition, said she had been elated the rainbow colours would feature on the memorial and was shattered to learn it would not go ahead.
Sillett told the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide in February that military police interrogated her over her sexuality in the army in the 1980s, leading her to experience suicidal thoughts and take an honourable discharge the following year.
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Australia banned gay and lesbian people from serving in the armed forces until 1992, and Sillett said lighting up the building was some recognition of the struggle.“We’ve struggled when we were in, we struggled when we were out. Absolutely treat us all the same, but that didn’t happen to us,” she said.
Sillett said some comments on social media following the radio segment had been hurtful to LGBTQ veterans and serving members.
“These trolls are probably not even going to go to the exhibition, but they need to go ... to see what we went through.”
The exhibition, Defending with Pride: Stories of LGBTQ+ Service, marks the first time an Australian war memorial has examined LGBTQ service in a dedicated exhibition. It is the third in a series of exhibits exploring individual identity in times of war.
Lee told 3AW on Wednesday that he questioned whether the pride colours were divisive.
Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance has cancelled plans to illuminate the site in rainbow colours, citing abuse and threats directed at its staff.Credit:Getty Images
“The ADF has recognised gay, lesbian and bisexual members since 1992, so we are talking 30 years of recognition within the ADF, so I don’t know it is that divisive within the defence community,” Lee said.
“It was considered very carefully ... we felt this was an important thing to recognise.”
Lee said he would be surprised if the majority of Victoria was not supportive of the decision to recognise diversity of service.
“The horrors of war and the legacy of service do not discriminate and every member who has served in the ADF needs to be able to be recognised with pride,” he said.
