Rainbow lights at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance cancelled due to abuse

The landmark was set to be illuminated in rainbow light ahead of an exhibition celebrating LGBTQ personnel in the armed forces.

Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance has scrapped plans to light up the site in rainbow colours after staff were threatened and abused.

The landmark was set to be illuminated in rainbow light on Sunday ahead of an exhibition celebrating LGBTQ personnel in the armed forces.

The exhibition and a Last Post service will still go ahead, however, Shrine of Remembrance chief executive Dean Lee said the lighting had been cancelled.

“Over several days, our staff have received — and been subject to — sustained abuse and, in some cases, threats,” he said.

“We have seen something of what members of the LGBTIQ+ community experience every day. It is hateful.”

The landmark was set to be illuminated in rainbow light on Sunday ahead of an exhibition celebrating LGBTQ personnel in the armed forces. Picture: Getty

3AW host Neil Mitchell spoke out against the plan earlier in the week, calling it divisive” and was a misuse of the sacred Shrine building.

“No disrespect to the gay community but the rainbow flag can be divisive,” Mitchell said.

“It’s not the role of the Shrine to be leading that debate, the Shrine should be above politics and political debate.”

Yvonne Sillett from the Discharged LGBTQIA+ Veterans Association, who was discharged in 1988 after what she says was a witch hunt because of her sexuality, said she was disappointed by the decision to cancel the rainbow lighting.

“I was angry for many, many years so the rainbow lighting tomorrow night was going to be, finally the world can see, or Melbourne can see, we did have in out military members from the LGBTQI community,” she told 9news.

The ban on gay and lesbian personnel was only lifted in 1992 by the Keating Government.