Council's reception cold at the end of the Rainbow Flag request

Brisbane City Council will not follow the lead of other Australian municipalities by flying the rainbow flag at City Hall on the International Day Against Homophobia.

However, after earlier refusing a request by a Brisbane gay and lesbian advocacy group to light the Story Bridge rainbow to mark the day, the council on Wednesday morning relented, announcing the city icon will shine in the colours of the queer pride symbol on May 17.

The Rainbow Flag draped over Fortitude Valley's Empire Hotel last year.Credit: Harrison Saragossi

The Brisbane Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Intersexual, Queer Action Group requested Lord Mayor Graham Quirk commit to flying the rainbow flag, the internationally recognised queer pride symbol earlier this month, as a gesture of inclusiveness.

At Tuesday afternoon's council meeting, Cr Quirk said Brisbane would not follow other municipalities, most notably its high profile counterpart Sydney, by having the rainbow flag adorn council flagpoles on IDAHO, which falls on May 17.

The request was denied just days after council's lifestyle chairman Krista Adams became embroiled in controversy by banning a Brisbane Queer Film Festival promotional poster depicting two men kissing.

"It is not my intention to fly a flag," he said.

"I think it is important to say rather than symbolic things such as the flying of a flag, this administration has taken a far greater step when it comes to making sure gay and lesbians are an inclusive part of our city

"I want to say absolutely, up front the gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in this city are always going to be very welcome participants in Brisbane."

An emotional Phil Browne, convener of the group that made the request – the Brisbane Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Intersexual, Queer Action Group – said he did not believe the Lord Mayor realised the full impact of denying the gesture.

"If the rainbow flag was flying in the streets, people would be crying in the streets," he said.

"It is hugely powerful and council doesn't realise the impact that has.

"To them it's just a piece of coloured cloth, to anyone who has experienced bullying and harassment and intimidation, it's a hugely powerful symbol."

Mr Browne said symbolic gestures were important to help communities where suicide rates were as much as four times higher feel less marginalised.

"I don't think they fully understand why we are pushing for this," he said.

"These little things council can do for all marginalised communities are hugely important."

On Wednesday morning, the council's field Services committee chairman David McLachlan said a request to fly the rainbow flag at City Hall had been denied because only national, state and city flags flew at the historic building.

He said the Lord Mayor had agreed to light up the Story Bridge in the rainbow colours to recognise IDAHO, after earlier denying the request due to an existing booking.

"The new Story Bridge lighting was developed to highlight special events and causes and it will be lit up with the rainbow colours to recognise the International Day Against Homophobia,” he said.

Moorooka ward councillor Steve Griffiths said the refusal to fly the rainbow flag was backwards step for Brisbane.

"The position the Lord Mayor took and the LNP took doesn't fit with the grand statements we are socially inclusive, diverse and a new world city," Cr Griffiths said.

"I couldn't imagine the mayors of New York or London coming up with that."

Cr Quirk's comments came after Cr Adams was again forced to defend her decision to ban a two man recreation of the iconic 1953 beach embrace from the film From Here to Eternity from city billboards.

Cr Adams said it was the festival organisers at the Brisbane Powerhouse who decided not to proceed with the racier image on city bus stops, after she raised concerns it might be too confronting and referred it to the Advertising Standards Board for review.

She denied she had censored the image.

"This is not about censorship, this is about sensitivity," she said.

"The image in question I did not censor, it is being used on a 10-foot billboard on the wall of the Powerhouse.

"I did not censor a picture to do with a homosexual queer film festival.

"I did not oppose the display of that picture. My concern was one aspect and they chose another image (for city billboards) because they needed to keep moving."

The replacement image depicts the same two men in a less controversial pose.

Cr Quirk said the current LNP administration had done more to foster inclusiveness of the LGBTI community than any of its predecessors.

It has supported the Brisbane Queer Film Festival and Pride Festival, as well as establishing rainbow story times and queer readers book clubs in council libraries.