Yarra City Council want to fly at least five different pride flags on town halls

The Greens-led Yarra Council wants to ditch the Rainbow flag and instead fly at least five different pride flags for the sake of diversity.

The Greens-led City of Yarra council is in a flap over which “pride” flags should fly above its town halls for the sake of ­diversity.

The inner city council that spent $22,000 of ratepayer money on a banana sculpture, now wants to stop flying the Rainbow or gay pride flag above its Richmond, Collingwood and Fitzroy halls.

The controversial council instead wants to run at least five different pride flags up the poles of its municipal offices, on the recommendation of its “rainbow advisory committee”.

It also wants to fly the “international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons” flag at all three of his headquarters.

Councillors will next week vote on amendments to Yarra’s “civic flag policy and community flag schedule”.

“The consensus view of the rainbow advisory committee was that council should cease flying the rainbow flag,’’ an agenda item for next Tuesday’s meeting said.

“And move instead to the use of the intersex-inclusive pride flag for those occasions where council seeks to ­acknowledge the complete diversity of Yarra’s community.’’

In a statement to the Herald Sun, the council said about 10 per cent of its community identified as lesbian, gay, ­bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer – almost double the Victorian average of 5.7 per cent.

“Yarra is a proud leader and advocate in this space and acknowledges that inclusivity and representation is vital to maintaining the health of wellbeing of our diverse community,’’ it said. The rainbow advisory committee – which is made up of two councillors and 14 community members – called for the rainbow flag to be replaced “to ­acknowledge the complete ­diversity of Yarra’s community”.

The report to be voted on by councillors suggests “council should cease the use of the rainbow flag to recognise the bisexual community on Bi Visibility Day and the intersex community on Intersex Awareness Day. And should instead fly the bisexual flag and the intersex flag respectively.’’

Council officers have also suggested additional pride flags be flown that were “not referenced’’ in its “LGBTIQA+ strategy adopted in 2020’’.

The flags would fly above Yarra Council’s Richmond, Collingwood and Fitzroy halls. Picture: Kris Reichl

The lesbian pride flag would be flown on Lesbian Visibility Day and International Lesbian Day.

The pansexual pride flag would be hoisted on Pansexual Pride Day and the non-binary pride flag on International Non-Binary People’s Day.

The intersex-inclusive pride Flag would be raised on Wear It Purple Day and on Intersex Day of Remembrance.

The council, overseen by a Spring St appointed municipal monitor, does not intend to seek community input on the decision.

“Public engagement on this subject was limited to discussions with the rainbow advisory committee,’’ it said in the report.

“Officers advise that widespread community consultation is not required due to the narrow scope of the recommendations.’’

The council will also vote to “clarify” how footy flags flown above its town hall during AFL and AFLW grand final weeks should be separated from pride flags.

“The football club flag will be flown in one location, and the other flag will be flown in the other locations,’’ it said.

Originally published as Yarra City Council want to fly at least five different pride flags on town halls