Defence call for public support from ‘allies’ of LGBTI soldiers

POLITICALLY correct defence chiefs have told members of the Australian military to signal they are “allies” of the LGBTI community by putting a rainbow flag next to their names in a staff directory.

“Pockets of resistance remain in the ADF”, revellers at last year’s Military Pride Ball were informed.

POLITICALLY correct defence chiefs have told members of the Australian military to signal they are an “ally” of the LGBTI community by putting a rainbow flag next to their name in the national ADF staff directory.

The latest attempt at “inclusion” comes after the Human Rights Commissioner fired a salvo at defence chiefs saying there were still “pockets of resistance” to “embracing diversity” within defence.

But Army veterans warned the rainbow flag attempt at inclusion could backfire by excluding many members of the military who chose not to be a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex (LBGTI) ally.

Former Army captain Bernie Gaynor.

Defence’s “Diversity and Inclusion Adviser” Thomas Hoffman wrote to members of the military about the “sweet new function” which allowed people to show they are an “LGBTI ally” by putting the rainbow flag next to their name on the Defence Corporate Directory.

“The broad principal (sic) with workplace allies is that they are visible, supportive people who can act as a POC (point of contact) should someone have an issue in the workplace,” he wrote last month.

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“We are not putting strict rules in place on who is or isn’t an ally because we don’t want to stifle the fantastic, positive and uplifting conversations you know you’ll be having amongst colleagues and peers,” he said.

Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans Association NSW President Bruce Relph said: “This is nuts. Sexuality has no place in the military.

Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow.

“I respect people in the military because they are good soldiers not because they have a rainbow next to their name.”

He said there were concerns that not conforming to the rainbow tag could affect opportunities for promotion. “Something like this should not be allowed to affect someone’s career path,” he said.

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Former Army officer and Australian Conservatives member Bernie Gaynor said that by not signing up, those members of the defence force “will be publicly outed” and their career affected.

“Defence members who refuse to sign up are likely to face difficulties obtaining promotions, especially to the higher ranks.”

The move comes after Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow told the Military Pride Ball last year that “pockets of resistance remain in the ADF”.

“Embracing diversity will not only allow the ADF more effectively to meet the challenges of modern warfare, but will also allow it to live up to the expectations of the communities they defend,” he said.

Mr Gaynor said: “It is extremely concerning that this program has been launched following the Human Rights Commissioner’s declaration that there are ‘pockets of resistance’ to homosexuality within Defence.

“We are facing a ‘rainbow jihad’ inside Defence. This policy is not about acceptance. It is about pressuring all Defence members to celebrate homosexuality.”

The ADF did not respond to requests for comment.