The rainbow Pride flag is set to continue to be flown outside the Millicent council chambers after a debate at the January monthly meeting of Wattle Range Council in Millicent on Tuesday night.
The flag has flown there each November for several years after an annual request from the organisers of the month-long Feast Gay Pride Arts Festival in Adelaide as well as two other days of significance each year to the LGBTIQA+ community.
A letter from Millicent Baptist Church secretary David Hallett was tabled at the meeting and it called on the council to cease displaying the rainbow flag.
According to the church, the flag-flying was promoting “alternative sexual lifestyles” and such government buildings should only fly the national, state and Aboriginal flags.
After Mayor Des Noll and five councillors debated the request from Mr Hallett for 10 minutes, council voted to receive and note his letter and take no further action.
His letter had been brought into the public domain when the agenda was published online late last week.
It prompted a sharp and immediate response from LGBTIQA+ support group Limestone Coast Connect with a widely-circulated media release.
Chair Patrick Smith claimed the church’s statement was “homophobic, insulting, degrading and reinforcing the stereotypes of Millicent”.
Two further letters from Mr Smith were tabled at the meeting and he sat in the public gallery.
There was widespread local and capital city media coverage of the flag-flying issue in the lead-up to the meeting.
Mayor Noll said he respected both the Millicent Baptist Church and the LGBTIQA+ community while Councillor John Drew said council needed to listen to different views.
Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Dunnicliff said flying the rainbow flag decision taken a few years ago was not a council initiative but came as a response to a request for support from the LGBTIQA+ community.
Cr Moira Neagle also referred to that original decision and said council was looking to show support to vulnerable young people on sexuality matters.
Cr Emma Castine asked Mayor Noll to invite Limestone Coast Connect deputy chair Di Ind to address the meeting but her request was declined.
Cr Dale Price said he agreed with elements in the letters from the Baptist Church and the LGBTIQA+ community.
“I believe we should be just flying the Australian flag as that is inclusive,” Cr Price said.
Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Smith said he welcomed the outcome and was pleased with the supportive remarks from councillors.
“There was no need to take any action (on the Baptist Church letter),” Mr Smith said.
Another onlooker at the meeting was Millicent Community Church minister Shaun Mulick who spoke to The SE Voice in a private capacity.
“I am happy to be a kind of walking rainbow flag,” Pastor Shaun said.
“I want people to know they belong here, they matter and they are loved.
“Flying the rainbow flag is a harm issue and it is about protecting the vulnerable and marginalised.”
