By Kim Stephens
It has been just two years since Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk caused widespread outrage among the city's LGBTIQ community by refusing to fly the rainbow flag at City Hall to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
What a difference 24 short months can make.
After an enormous backlash to his 2014 refusal, the lord mayor relented in 2015, agreeing to fly the international queer pride symbol from one of Brisbane's grandest historic buildings on May 17, the day on which IDAHOT falls annually.
This year, two of the largest government agencies in the state, the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance Service, followed suit.
Transgender police officer Constable Mairead Devlin with Brisbane LGBTIQ Action Group convener Phil Brown and QPS LBGTIQ Support Network convener Sergeant Mick Gardiner stand proud with the rainbow flag outside the Brisbane police headquarters on Roma Street.Credit: Michelle Smith
For IDAHOT 2016, Brisbane is a city proudly swathed in rainbow - and all the inclusiveness the colours bring with them.
At the Roma Street QPS headquarters on Tuesday morning, it was the "humbled" 22-year-old transgender Constable Mairead Devlin who had the honour of raising the flag for the first time, the beginning of an annual tradition, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mike Condon said.
"We represent the diverse community we serve, if we don't understand that diverse community within our organisation how can we better serve our people across the state," Mr Condon said.
For Constable Devlin, the public display of support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community was an important gesture by the organisation.
Transgender police officer Mairead Devlin raises the rainbow flag for the first time outside QPS headquarters.Credit: Michelle Smith
"To me transitioning in the QPS, there has been a staggering amount of allies and identifying people I have encountered and I think the general public aren't aware of that a lot of the time," he said.
"So I think it's really good to publicly display our support for the LGBTI community."
The rainbow flag flies from Brisbane's City Hall.Credit: Natalie Bochenski
While Constable Devlin said "there's always more work to be done" he said gender transitioning in the QPS in 2014 had been an overwhelmingly positive experience for him and continued to be.
"I think any negative attitude I have encountered has just come down to to lack of education and easily solved through communication. Everyone's been very supportive."
Transgender police officer Mairead Devlin, 22, said he was "humbled" to raise the flag and had been overwhelmed by the support within QPS for his gender transition.Credit: Michelle Smith
For Phil Brown, the convenor of Brisbane's LGBTIQ action group, which was left devastated by the lord mayor's refusal to fly the flag at City Hall two years ago, the rapid about-face across the city has been nothing short of staggering.
"I would never have expected it in this time frame and praise has to be given for the recognition of harm to LGBTI people through discrimination," he said.
"Having QPS officially come out and support LGBTI officers, as well as the LGBTI public they deal with, is an amazing advance, and it speaks volumes for respect and inclusion for all people."
Mr Brown admitted to becoming misty-eyed when Constable Devlin hoisted the rainbow flag at QPS headquarters on Tuesday morning and said while he expected change would happen eventually, he would never have been able to predict how quickly it would happen.
Such has been the stunning public change of heart for Cr Quirk in two years, the Brisbane lord mayor has defied the LNP party line to place on record his own, and potentially the council's, support for same-sex marriage.
The motion will be voted on by all 26 councillors on Tuesday evening.
After a long fight for equality, the right to same-sex marriage, Mr Brown said, remained one of the last barriers to the LGBTIQ community being recognised as truly equal members of Australian society.
"Tonight the motion that is expected to pass in Brisbane City Council chambers is going to say Australia's largest council, and an LNP-controlled council at that, recognises discrimination in the marriage act is not OK and all people should be treated equally," Mr Brown said.
IDAHOT falls on May 17 to commemorate the day in 1990, the World Health Organisation finally removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses.